Fabled Path
by enragedpurple
Summary: This is what happens between Fable 2 and 3. I love the pairing Sparrow and Walter, so this is their story. The rating may change depending on what happens in later chapters. Also, I don't know if I used the right characters. There is a Walter B. and then a Sir Walter... :T
1. Tyrant's Rule

Chapter One: Tyrant's Rule

"You've chosen the Sacrifice," Her voice rang out hollowly from the white abyss. The red-haired girl threw her dreadlocks over her shoulder as she watched the Seeress. Teresa smiled "All of Albion will love you for your choice," She continued.

The world flashed and suddenly both were back in the Spire

"You were brilliant, you were," Hammer laughed as she studied the girl. She was remembering when they had both gone out to get matching hairstyles. That was when the girl had just gotten back from her hellish journey into the spire. She had come back bald, and Hammer just would not hear of leaving it like that.

"Yes, yes, well what do _I_ get out of all this?" Reaver piped up from the opposite corner. All cast him a look of "are you serious?" The Pirate simply shifted his stance and his cocky demeanor grew even more. Sparrow found herself trying to keep from gagging at the mere sight of him. She hated to think that he would get any credit out of all of this.

"I can send you anywhere from the Spire," Teresa offered. She held her blind gaze with the Pirate and Mage first. Garth looked between the Seeress and Sparrow. His eyes seemed to say all that could not be said allowed. They screamed of how guilty he was for not stopping Lucian from killing her sister. They screamed of how sorry he was about her family and companion. He was silently offering her his cold-shouldered compassion.

"I suppose I should return home," Garth offered, casting a look to back Teresa.

"Hmm… I think I shall accompany you. There are some exotic beauties down there," Reaver chimed in. He pressed a hand to his hip and his eyebrows arched. Sparrow resisted the urge to reach for her gun.

"So long as you stay out of my way," Garth grumbled. In a flash of light, both Heroes were gone. That left only the three women.

"I suppose I should return to the Temple. But with the load of shit they spout, I couldn't stand it. Maybe I'll go north. I heard there were some monks up there who actually fight," Hammer was rambling. All in the room knew it, but Sparrow still said naught. She hadn't spoken a word, not even to her deceased husband or dog. Why should she start now?

"Well, I'm off then," Hammer stated, almost dejectedly. Sparrow felt sorrow welling in her throat. She eyed the great woman with sincerity in her eyes, then reaching out to the woman quickly. She took hold of her hand, clenching her fingers around it in a compassionate way.

"Thank you, Hannah," She whispered, then turning on her heel before Hammer could respond to the simple words. Sparrow did not want to get attached ever again. No, love was for the softhearted. She had already lost her sister, husband, daughter, and faithful four-legged companion. She would never love again.

She wandered the piers and pews of the spire, not entirely sure where she was going. The memories of her stay here were suddenly being shoved up her throat. She clenched her fists, coming to a stop. She glanced to her right and spotted herself in a broken and mangled mirror.

Her patched coat was dyed black and opened in the front to show off her dark red corset. Her hot pants were the same shade of red, allowing her black thigh boots to stay just an inch below. All across her skin were blue will lines, criss-crossing and glowing dully in the dank Spire.

She glared and lurched forward, a fireball exploding around the glass and encasing the small hallway. She fell to her knees and weakly kept slamming the fire spell to the ground. A pulse of fire was now scorching the floor.

She was imperfect. She was a monster. She was a killer. She'd harmed so many, lost so many, and now she couldn't defend the rest. She was weak and she was useless. She hadn't even been able to say goodbye to her husband, daughter, or friends.

Why didn't she speak? Because she was so traumatized by her sisters early death? She realized then that she had not spoken a word since her sister died.

"Where would you like to go, Sparrow?" Teresa came up behind the flaming Hero, gently putting a hand on her shoulder to calm her down. The blind woman fell beside the Hero, stopping her hands as she held them in her own. Sparrow looked to the woman for the first time in a long while as her mother. Teresa was the best mother figure she had ever had, and she hadn't even said anything to her. Not even thank you for saving her life, or for showing her what she was truly capable of.

"Oakfield," She whispered as images of the small countryside town flashed across her mind. It had been where she started all of this… by finding Hammer.

"Very well, young Sparrow," Teresa gave a wave of her hand and the Hero closed her eyes. She heard a faint snap, letting her eyes flutter open to see a field now surrounded her. She clenched two handfuls of over-long grass beside her. Her head fell limply down, causing her to look at her knees, gun, and oddly-angled Master Katana.

How many people had she killed with either weapon? How many people had suffered death at the expense of one of her bullets, or a deadly stab? How many families had she deprived of a husband, father, friend, or brother? How many lives had she ended?

Gathering her Master Katana at her hip and Master Pistol on her thigh, she took off down the path. For now, she would stay at the Sandgoose and hope no one recognized her.

She hoped she could silently drown her sorrows in the Ale.

* * *

The Ale burned going down. Sparrow winced slightly as she threw back her head in the motion of downing the liquid. She then pounded the mug to the counter, staring blankly ahead.

She had found a corner in the small pub, curling into a chair to hopefully remain unseen. So far, she had succeeded. She had already rented a room and dumped her weapons (all save her gun) in that. Even if someone did come to steal them, she wasn't concerned. The weapons meant little to her. What she was more concerned about, she kept on her body at all times.

Staring ahead, the patrons of the small Sandgoose started up a dance as a lone bard started to sing and play. The music was happy, a strong opposite to her glum mood. She supposed she ought to be out there celebrating with them, now that the war was over and a tyrant had been removed from power. But, she just didn't have it in her. There was no small part of her that felt like dancing to the death of a man who once offered to take her in.

True, he ended up killing her sister and eventually ruining her life, but she still had some sort of respect for the dead. He had taken them in when no one else did (again, only at his benefit) and showed them some sort of compassion. For an orphan who didn't even know who her parents were, that was something. Of course, all crimes far outweighed his pretend-caring attitude. However, the dead deserved to be respected. Avos knew that most of them would be disturbed and become Hollow Men sometime soon again.

Across the way, young Walter Beck ran a hand through his unruly black hair as he eyed the moping woman. She was a sight, something regal, but she looked to be anything else. He couldn't quite place the face, but he knew he had seen her once before.

As she laid her head down on the table, he took that opportunity to move a bit closer. He laid a hand gently on her elbow, ready to ask her for a dance. Instead, he got a gun shoved in his face. The crowd around them gasped as one and all music stopped. Walter showed no emotion, simply blinking in shock once or twice.

"Can I help you?" He asked, patting the end of the gun lightly with two fingers. It was then that she looked down in shock and saw his gun pointed at her abdomen. "Obviously not used to being challenged?" He asked again, simply trying to get a response out of her. Even if he had only been a soldier for a few years, he knew the stories about the warrior with hell in her eyes. He was staring at them now, and it was then he recalled her name. "Sparrow."

"You shouldn't mess with me, kid," She grumbled in an almost-too-soft-to-hear voice. Walter put his gun away at the same instant she did hers. She then turned to the crowd and shot them an award-winning smile. They all relaxed as they realized who she was.

"Sparrow!"

"Can I have your autograph?"

"You saved Albion!"

"Lucian is dead!"

"You're our Hero!"

Thousands of shouts were thrown at the Hero and Walter was left on the sidelines to watch in awe as she managed all of them. They all came at her at once, swarming her and pushing him away. Not once did anyone even ask her if it was okay, if they were getting in her way, if she had to be anywhere, or if she even wanted to sign autographs. Walter sighed, pushing through the crowd.

"All right, all right, all of you lot back off now," He grumbled in his most demanding voice. They all eyed him with scrutiny.

"Who made you boss, Walter? Sparrow doesn't mind," Someone shot back at his bold intrusion. Walter glanced to the Hero and noticed her shoulders were sagging and she was breathing heavily.

"I can pretty much assume that she would mind. Anyone would mind if a lot of buffoons was suddenly shoved in their face," Walter shot back. He casually wrapped an arm around the Hero's, pushing them both through the crowd. He bent down a few inches, whispering in her ear, "Show me where your room is."

She did, taking the lead and leaving the dejected crowd behind. They were all shouting curse words at Walter, some calling him rather inconsiderate things. As soon as they were in her room, the oak door couldn't shut fast enough.

"You didn't have to," She whispered, flopping down onto the bed. Walter shot her a curious look, wondering why she never more than whispered. He sat on a chair across from her, still eyeing her.

She looked like death itself had warmed over. Her pale skin clashed oddly with her dark clothes and glowing blue will lines. He wondered idly if she was sick, but then decided that Hero's didn't get sick.

"Oh, but I did. That lot will tear you apart if you're not careful. I don't know how you've dealt with it all these years, being a cause of that," Walter gestured to the outside world as he spoke, trying to get his point across. She sighed, her shoulder heaving with the action. She didn't say anymore, simply stared at her shoes. Walter decided to break the eerie silence. "So, tell me, why don't you ever talk?"

She blinked up at him in surprise. Either in shock at the boldness of his question, or shock that someone would ever actually care. Her deep blue eyes met his as she remained silent, trying to figure the best way to answer that question. She still had not gotten used to the whole "speak when spoken to" rule.

"My sister…" She trailed off, figuring that two words were better then none. Walter continued to hold her gaze, his eyes changing to apology.

"Ah, I see. How long ago?" He relaxed in the chair, folding his hands in his lap. His standard-military issue uniform caught the light oddly and made it look as though the red was glowing.

"20 years ago," She whispered, then shutting her eyes as her hands snapped up to her ears.

_You are insignificant. You matter to no one. Even Rose was better off dead and without you. You are worthless, and I was the one who killed her. I was the one who started all of this, who built the Spire, and who will live on no matter what! Hero's die with age, but the memory of a tyrant lives on forever. _

_Albion will forever be mine!_


	2. Identity Crisis

Chapter Two: Identity Crisis

_Balls_, Walter thought as he watched the woman, _I made her cry_. Walter sighed and moved to her side, wrapping an arm around the woman's shoulders. She stiffened at first, but when she realized he meant to comfort, she relaxed.

"Why do you even care?" She mumbled, trying desperately to wipe the tears from her eyes. She had never cried in front of anyone except Hammer. Hammer… She wished she could hug the giant monk just one last time. She was almost scraping at her eyes by the time Walter managed to stop her.

"Because I hate seeing such a beautiful woman mope in a pub. Better to mope with someone then it is to mope alone," Walter pulled her hands away from her face, keeping them caged in his own. She looked up to him sharply, finally seeing him for once.

He was a burly man with a slight go-t beginning to form. His hair was an unruly black mess, but somehow it fit his face. His hands were nearly twice the size of hers, and she also realized he was rather muscular. He was a… kind man.

She threw herself against his chest, completely losing it for once. She had no idea what made her do this; she figured it was the craving for human companionship. Or maybe it was the craving for someone she could trust. He wrapped his strong arms around her back and simply let her cry and totally ruin his uniform.

Then she started talking. She just kept talking and talking about everything that had ever happened to her. First it was about how she never thought she would survive without her sister. Then, it was how she moved on thanks to Teresa. Next, it was all her adventures as a Hero and all those times she thought she was dead. It was pointing out all her scars and telling him that those only went skin deep; that there was more to her then skin, scars, will lines and weapons.

Walter held her through all of this and listened to her soft, chiming voice grow stronger and stronger with each sentence. He just listened and hoped she realized what she was doing, how violently and loudly she was talking now. Or, how much she was telling him.

Through all of this he listened, just wondering what the hell qualified such a traumatized person as a Hero. He wondered why the people always insisted on worshipping things that obviously caused her such pain.

"Sparrow, C'mon. You're not staying here alone. I think a nice, quality visit to Mourningwood would do you some good," He finally stated as she stopped and stared up at him. She sighed at first, but then she nodded.

"Maybe a change of appearance as well," She mumbled, grabbing her sword and pack from the bed. They both walked out of the pub, Walter still guiding her through the crowd by her arm. They all eyed the couple warily at first, but when Walter shot them a glare, they left well enough alone.

So, the pair caught a carriage and started off towards Mourningwood.

"Did you know," Sparrow began with a light airy tone to her chirping voice, "that this is the first time I will be traveling anywhere of my own free will?"

* * *

Mourningwood looked absolutely dank, Sparrow decided. The small fort where Walters fellow soldiers were stationed was broken down and torn, barely looking like it could stand on its own through one more attack.

"What did you say you fought down here?" Sparrow asked with a tug to Walter's sleeve. He sighed, looking her over once more.

They had decided to give her a whole new look in order to avoid the fame that she dreaded so much. She had cut her hair into a short, curly bob and died it a mouse brown. Her clothes had changed slightly, even if by just color. Now, the jacket was a stunning white, her corset and pants a fair pink, and boots a matching white. She looked an almost completely different image then her other dark one had suggested mere days ago. Now, she looked a bit too girly to still have a fearsome gun and sword strapped to her.

"Hollow Men," He said with an almost vehement tone. He still hated the undead buggers as much as any other soldier stationed here.

"Remind me again why Lucian stationed you here?" She asked as they came to a stop outside the giant doors. Walter threw her a playful glare over his shoulder and she just put her hands up in feigned surrender.

"Walter, that you? Who's your lady friend?" A voice called from the wall above. Walter pulled Sparrow forward a bit, letting the man up there get a better look at her.

"This is Lillian. She said that she wanted to practice her healing magic, and I told her that we had a few too many injured down here," Walter gestured to her will lines, trying to play with the one part they couldn't change about her. She gave him a thankful smile.

"Very well, I'll just call the General in to take a look, if you don't mind, Lily," The man then vanished before either could reply. Sparrow shot Walter a glare then.

"Lillian? Really?" She joked, poking him in the side. He laughed lowly, pulling her towards the giant doors again. They waited outside, bickering amongst themselves while they waited. And waited. And waited.

Finally, when the both realized that it was almost night out, they caught onto the General's game.

"General! It's me, Walter Beck! The Hollow Men are going to be coming soon, sir! Let us in!" Walter banged on the door with one giant fist as Sparrow drew her sword.

"Walter, no time. Look," She stated, nudging him with her elbow. He turned around and prepared his gun.

"Solider Walter, don't you shoot! Let's see how good this mage of yours really is," A voice sounded from above. Walter glared up at it, ready to shoot the man instead of the Hollow Men.

"But sir –"

"No buts, Walter. Do not fight. That is an order!" The man called down again, his authority clear in his voice.

"It's okay, Walter. I've got this," Sparrow murmured. She drew her gun and started shooting, taking down almost half of them before she had to refill her gun. By that little delay, however, some of them had managed to get closer. She quickly replaced the gun with her sword, slicing through the others before they could get to the door.

Wave after wave of Hollow Men kept coming, and wave after wave was defeated before it could reach Walter or the doors. She blew through them with her sword almost like a sharp breeze, and sometimes her crowd had to double-check to see where she was. Her gun never let her down, always hitting its mark and always getting the final blow. Sometimes, she would shoot out with a powerful fire spell, if they gathered around her too fast and too much. When she did that, she glowed and almost ominous blue.

Finally, when the sun was rising, they all sunk back into the ground. Sparrow fell to her knees, panting as she cast a glare back up at the men.

"Happy I could defend your soldiers, sir?" She delivered the comment wearily and weakly, but the intended hiss of arrogance was still there. Walter moved to her side, helping her up as she handed him her sword. He hooked it to her hip, getting a mumbled thank you out of her.

"Very good, very good indeed. But if you intended to keep who you were a secret by a simply hairstyle and wardrobe change, then you have greatly offended this General," The man hopped down from the wall, rolling to break his fall. He came to stop right in front of the panting Hero and Walter with a smile on his smug face. His waxed handlebar mustache wiggled when he talked next.

"To what do we owe the pleasure of having the great Sparrow in our ranks?" He whispered, low enough so only the three of them could hear. Sparrow winced at her old name, trying to keep back the anger that raged inside her.

"Nothing. I'm not Sparrow anymore. I gave up that title once my mission was done," She hissed, casting a particularly frightening glare to the General. He laughed, slapping a hand harshly onto Walter's shoulder.

"Take her inside. Make sure that no one else figures out about her little identity crisis. Swift Brigade will gladly give you the break you need, Lillian," He laughed again as he threw a wink over his shoulder at her. She was too shocked and confused to reply, so instead she just sighed. She leaned against Walter for support as he helped her inside.

"Don't let any of these men flirt with you, they –"

"I know how to handle myself against men, Walter. I was married, you know," She smiled as he set her down inside his tent. He chuckled, shutting the fabric behind him as he left.

_Maybe I really am having an identity crisis._


	3. Oakfield Again

Chapter Three: Oakfield Again

Sparrow's eyes fluttered open to the sound of snoring beside her. There were also arms around her waist, and she realized she was pressed up against the body behind her. She tensed at first, prepared to drive a sword through whoever thought they could sleep beside her. She turned carefully on her side and realized it was only Walter. Then she remembered that she was technically in his tent. Sighing, she got to her feet and slipped outside. As she exited the tent, she pulled on her coat and buttoned it up. A cold breeze had descended on the fort while she had slept.

"General Swift," She stated, moving up behind the man. He turned to her, twisting his mustache with one hand as he looked her over.

"Hmm, you look like hell," He stated bluntly, looking her over with dark brown eyes. She smiled lightly, running a hand through her now-short hair.

"Your uniform has seen better days as well, General," She joked back. Beside them, a crowd had gathered. The expressions on their faces suggested shock at the fact their General was being so friendly towards someone. It was then that Sparrow remembered she was no longer a powerful Hero, she was just a lowly Healer named Lillian. She wondered what Teresa was thinking right now, since she knew the Seeress never left her alone.

"Yes, well most uniforms here are on the patchy side," He stated rather blandly. He had also realized then that he should tone down the friendliness between the two.

"Right. Well, where are the men that need the most immediate attention?" She asked, folding her arms around her torso. Swift pointed over his shoulder to a small, makeshift nursery. Sparrow nodded, then walking over to them.

"Hey, lady, over here. I've been waiting a weak!" Someone shouted at her approach. She laughed lightly, moving over to him.

"A little pushy are we, Soldier?" She asked gently as she pushed him back onto the cot he was resting on. The soldier simply huffed as she started to unwrap his wound. What she found underneath was almost sickeningly inflated with puss and infection. Sighing, she placed her hand over the man's leg and conjured the healing spell in her hands. She glowed a bright blue, heard the man cry out in the shock of being healed, and then it was over. His leg showed a faint pink scar, but other then that, the gash a Hollow Man had left behind was almost completely gone.

The man jumped to his feet, shouting thanks to her as he rushed to General Swift demanding to be given a job now. Sparrow laughed to herself as she moved to the next soldier. This one was in worse condition, but she got him back to a fairly healed state. She told him that she would come back tomorrow and just check up, but until then he was not to move. He sighed, but said his thanks anyway.

So, she went from soldier to soldier until all were fairly well healed or completely healed. Once she reached the last one, she was aware that she was being watched. She stood then, placing both hands on her hips as she turned around to face Walter.

"Good afternoon, Walter. Is there something I can help you with?" She asked, her tone light and soft. He never got over just how well her name fit her, birdlike and charming as she was.

"No, go on. I was just watching the fancy light show," He chuckled. She let a small giggle escape her mouth, the most emotion he had heard from her in the short week they had known each other. She patted the knee of the soldier she was healing, giving him instructions on his wound. Then she moved closer to Walter with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I doubt that's the only reason you came here, Soldier Beck," She said, her tone playful. He laughed lightly, running a hand through his hair.

"You're right. I'm going into town with a few of the others, do you want to come?" She sighed at his offer, looking to the ground almost shyly.

"What would happen if the people recognized me? Avos knows that they have noticed my disappearance and some are probably even looking for me now," she grumbled up at him, causing him to see the true faults in his plan. He sighed heavily, his shoulders sagging.

"We'd only be going to Oakfield, not a big town. We can even give you a coat with a hood on it," He joked, ruffling her short curls. She slapped his hand away, moving back to the next patient who was calling her name softly. As she tended to him, she continued her talk with Walter.

"I would love to, but that town has too many memories for me…" She trailed off then, wondering what the possibility of Hammer being there was. She wanted to see her best friend, tell her what was happening in her life, but somehow she knew that the giant monk would never return to the place that her father was murdered.

"Oh, I see. Well, the offer still stands, if you want to think about it. We leave in a few hours," Walter stated, pushing himself off of the banister he was leaning on and walking away. Her eyes followed him, and for a second, she swore her heart skipped a beat. But then she remembered her husband, Joseph, and her daughter Rose. She had spent so little time with them, only coming by every few weeks. And then, Lucian had killed them off and left the bloody house behind for her to clean up. He had even left their bodies in a bloody mangled mess on her bed.

A few minutes later, she was free of any patients. She walked over to General Swift's tent, ducking in without even asking.

"General, I would like to borrow a uniform for the day, please," She told him quietly. He laughed, telling her where they were stored. She stealthily made her way there, grabbing one and ducking into a spot where no one could see her change. She came back into the camp with her hair pinned back so it looked like a shaggy boy's cut. She wore the uniform, having bound hr breasts so that she even looked like a man. Her weapons still were strapped to her body, but now her sword was on her back like any other man's.

"Walter," She spoke softly, having come back to their shared tent to store her clothes. He turned around and almost fell backwards in shock.

"Balls, Lillian, what did you do?" He laughed as she set her clothes down. She smiled, grabbing his hat and tucking it on her head.

"I'll come back to Oakfield with you, but I just figured that this was a better disguise then any other," She smiled as his eyes continued to travel over her body. She knew he was checking her out, but she didn't think anything of the matter. For some reason, it did not bother her.

"Well then, come on," He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her out of the tent. Soon enough, Walter, Sparrow and three other men were all headed out on a carriage.

* * *

They reached the town and most went their separate ways. Walter and Sparrow stuck together, having told the storeowner they would be back for their purchases when they were ready to leave. Sparrow had convinced Walter to come take a look at the Temple of light with her. She knew that Hammer was probably in the North, but a small shred of her still hoped to see the monk one last time.

As they reached the white building, she smiled to herself. She could still remember the times that she and Hammer had returned to pester the monks. It was Hammers favorite activity to splatter just a bit of mud on their pristine floors and walls. Now, Sparrow could tell that they were back to their daily scrubbing of the Temple.

"This place is bright," Walter mumbled beside her. However, Sparrow had slipped back into her silent state. She didn't want to risk Walter hearing the emotion in her voice, should she have chosen to speak right then.

"Welcome to the Temple of Light. The Ceremonies will begin shortly," a monk offered them as they set foot in the temple. Sparrow cast the monk a thankful look, but said nothing. She moved inside the small circular room and nearly had to do a double take.

Sitting in front of a statue was a hulking woman that looked all-too familiar. Sparrow silently motioned for Walter to stay behind and moved the woman's side. She kneeled beside the woman, saying nothing of her approach.

"He was my father, you know," A familiar voice spoke. Sparrow nearly burst of happiness right then and there.

"Yes, I know," She replied, figuring it was about time she spoke to her dearest friend.

"Hey, how could you –"

"Oh, come on Hammer, I thought you would recognize me after just two weeks," Sparrow joked as she turned to face the great monk. A squeal erupted from the monk and the next thing Sparrow knew, she was being crushed in a hug. She had to remind Hammer that she needed to breathe before she set her down. Sparrow laughed as Hammer just kept lightly hugging her.

"Do you know how worried I've been? I came back here the day after and you were gone! I'd asked around and tons of people said you'd left with some rude old sod," Hammer was still hugging the young Hero, making it impossible for her to respond. "And now you're talking! Do you know how long I've waited to stop having these one-sided conversations?" Hammer practically squealed the last part.

"Hannah, Hannah, let me talk," Sparrow gasped lightly. Hammer put her down, still smiling from ear to ear. "Hannah, I didn't run off with a sod. I ran off with Walter," Sparrow smiled as she gestured for Walter to come closer. Walter walked up and smiled to the great woman.

"It's an honor to be referred to as a sod from someone as great as you, Hammer," He laughed as he stuck out his hand. She took it with a smile, shaking it vigorously.

"You better be talking care of Sparrow here," She threatened lightly. Sparrow sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yes, because I need so much protection," Sparrow joked lightly. Hammer gave her an evil eye.

"I talked with Teresa. She told me what happened after you ran out of the room in the Spire. Sparrow, what's really wrong?" Hammer had changed from giddy and joyful to completely serious and worried in one sentence. Sparrow sighed, looking away from both and to the ground.

"Nothing," She mumbled.

"Okay, even if you did just learn how to talk, even I know you're lying," Hammer stated blandly as she continued to eyes the Hero. She took Sparrow's chin in her hand, forcing the Hero to look to her. Walter watched from the side of Hammer, noticing it was almost like they were silently communicating. They didn't say a word, but their eyes held so much more then the silence that was ringing out into the Temple.

"Nothing is wrong, Hammer," Sparrow mumbled finally, wrenching her chin from the monks' hand. Sparrow grabbed Walter's arm, pulling him towards the entrance of the Temple. Hammer was following and all knew that this was not going to end easily or soon.

"Walter, will you tell the others to go on back to Mourningwood? I'm going to stay here fore a few days and catch up with Hammer," Sparrow offered the soldier her excuse, but Walter had already caught on. He stopped in his tracks, pulling the Hero against him slightly. He bent down and whispered in her ear.

"If you aren't back by tomorrow at sunset, I'm coming back after you," His voice was low and husky, causing the Hero to pause as a shiver ran down her spine. Walter pulled away, casing a smile to Hammer, and then walked down the path to gather the other soldiers. As soon as he was out of sight, Hammer laughed a little.

"If you don't take him, I will," Sparrow whirled on her heels and jokingly punched the monk. Their laughter filled the small forest as they walked back to the Temple.

"So are you going to tell me what's really going on here?" Hammer finally asked.


	4. Monarch

Chapter Four: Monarch

"I don't know where to start, Hammer," Sparrow mumbled as the women both relaxed in the rented tavern room. Sparrow was lying on the bed, staring up at the sky while Hammer sat next to her, kindly staring down at her best friend.

"Well, let's start with mister hot soldier," Hammer joked around, a smile forming on her face. Sparrow weakly hit the woman's thigh as a warning.

"Walter is nice, but we're just friends. Joseph was the only one for me, and I'm never loving again. Anyone that I've ever loved has been taken from me," Sparrow hissed out through clenched teeth. Her and Walter were just friends, right? Or was there something more there? There couldn't be. Joseph had been dead for about two weeks, and already she was thinking about moving on? She wasn't very faithful if that was the case. Which it isn't.

"Well then let's move onto the depressing side of things. Why did you throw a fireball at that poor, unsuspecting mirror in the Spire?" Hammer's tone was joking, but they both knew that there was an underlying tone of concern and worry. Sparrow hated the fact that she caused her friend such pain.

"I'm a useless wreck. I can't defend the people anymore, not once the new monarch is appointed. I'm going to have to watch them all die and it will all be my fault," Sparrow threw an arm over her eyes as the pain of her words took a toll on her train of thought. "That, and Lucian will always be remembered. He'll be the king that was a tyrant, but then what will the next king be? He'll try to be the exact opposite of Lucian which will only get him thrown out of rule," Sparrow continued to confide in her friend, even though she didn't even know what she was saying anymore.

"Sparrow, didn't you think this through at all?" Hammer stated, pulling her friend into a sitting position. Hammer held both of the Hero's arms as the woman was forced to look into her friend's dejected and depressing eyes. "They have been sending word all around Albion that they want _you_ as their Queen," Hammer stated excitedly.

Sparrow nearly fell beck onto the mattress at the shock of Hammer's words. Her? Queen? Now she wondered what she was doing, telling her friend her insane train of thought. She wondered just why she had to bring up the topic of ruling a kingdom and her fame. Why hadn't she pieced it together sooner.

"All right, so it's settled. We go back to Bowerstone, get you your recognizable hair and clothes back, and then you're off to being Queen," Hammer stated as she started to drag her friend out of the bed.

"Hannah, Hannah, wait. What about Walter and all those other soldiers? I can't just abandon them. And especially not Walter. He's helped me through so much, even if we've only known each other for two weeks," Sparrow was trying to slow he friend down, but the monk was much to strong for her. So, she found herself being dragged out through the tavern with a crowd following them and demanding for their attention.

"Walter never left," Came a husky voice as they neared the exit of the tavern. Sparrow whirled her head to spot the black-haired youth. She smiled, almost ear to ear, as he started walking with them.

"So, off we go to the Castle," Hammer beamed back at both of them.

* * *

"Just as you were before I found you," Walter joked as Sparrow pulled on her black jacket with a flip of her dreadlocks. They were walking through Bowerstone now, on their way to Fairfax gardens. Hammer was jabbering on and on about how she was going to be friends with a queen soon, not that being friends with the greatest Hero that ever lived wasn't an honor. Walter just laughed, and finally having had enough of the great brute, slapped a hand over her mouth.

"Hammer, if you don't stop talking at the speed of a jabbering Hobbe, I seriously might have to use this new sword of mine," Walter threatened. Hammer slapped his hand away playfully, Sparrow silently noting that they would forever be the best of friends.

"I'm just trying to help. I mean, seriously. How great is this going to be?" Hammer laughed as Walter made another swipe at her. Sparrow turned around then.

"All right children, now once inside the gates, Mother wants you to be on your best behavior," She jokingly scolded them with one finger. Both laughed and pushed her forward once again.

"Balls, just keep walking," Walter cursed. Sparrow laughed and continued on her way through the overly-shiny silver gate. The guards here were of a new standard, and all had the spiffiest weapons Castle-issued money could buy. Sparrow noted that they were all of the same cheap make and wondered how no one had bothered to attack this place before.

The crowd of three moved through the Gardens, fending off the aristocrats who wanted to get a piece of the fames Heroes. They pushed their way through the growing group of snot-nosed sods and finally made it to the steps.

"Ah, Sparrow and Hammer. The court is expecting you," A butler greeted at the oversized doors. Walter coughed a cough that made it known that he was there and the Butler did a bow to him as well, "You too, sir Walter,"

"Huh, hanging with the right crowd gets your name around," Walter said smugly before Hammer could push him in the doors behind Sparrow. He laughed and picked up his pace to match Sparrow's.

"You'll be fine, you know that right?" Walter asked reassuringly in the Hero's ear. She smiled weakly, and without thinking, intertwined their hands.

"Yeah, I know," She replied in a gently tone back. Once they reached the end of the red-carpeted hallway, they were in a small circular room. Sparrow almost turned on her heel when she realized what room it was.

_No!_ Her sisters' screech came crashing back into her head. She gripped Walter's hand tighter, stopping the small group in their tracks. She wouldn't enter that room again, not again. She wouldn't do it.

"Sparrow," Walter looked over to her with concern.

"Rose…Rose was killed in there," She said weakly, her hand tightening even more. Walter sighed, taking his hand away from hers and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. Hammer took the Hero's opposite hand.

"Sparrow, you'll be fine. We're right here, and so is Rose. She's cheering you on, you know," Hammer offered in reassurance. Sparrow shot her a grateful look and pulled away from Walter. She looked up to him and gave him a small smile.

"Wish me luck," She whispered as she entered the room and shut the giant doors behind her.

* * *

"Welcome, young Sparrow," A voice bellowed as she set foot inside the room. She smiled over to the group of about ten scholars to her right. They al moved forward, taking her hand and giving it a firm shake one at a time. Then they all stepped back and looked at her.

"Um, thanks for inviting me," she stated, although anyone could have heard the uncertainty in her voice. The eagerness in their eyes never left though, and she was starting to get a little bit creeped out.

"We want you to be our Queen," One suddenly stated. Sparrow nodded, trying to pinpoint the voice.

"I heard that. I'd be honored, but –"

"It's settled then! You are our new Queen!" An eruption of cheers sounded through the small room. Sparrow sighed. The group of scholars then moved to a table, motioning her over.

"The inauguration will take place next week, and then you will move in that day. Then you will begin appointing positions that need filled. Do you have anyone in mind that would fill the position of your bodyguard?" One man asked, pointing to a list of positions that needed filled. Sparrow nodded.

"Walter Beck would do just fine," She smiled.

"And what about your mage?" They asked next, curious to see if she would fill that position herself, or if she would appoint someone else.

"Garth, if you can track him down in time," A smile was spreading over her face as she realized what this meant. She was finally happy with the idea that she got to appoint people she could trust her life with.

"And what about the Military manger?" They asked next, happy to see that she was really a good fit for the position.

"Hammer," Sparrow said without a seconds hesitation. They all eyed her warily at first, concerned at her choice. She blew them off and told them to right down her name on the piece of paper.

"All the other positions will be filled over time, but those were the most immediate to be taken care of. Thank you, Queen…" They trailed off, not sure what to call her. Surely she would not go by Queen Sparrow?

"Queen Lillian will do just fine," She laughed at their wide-eyed expressions. Maybe she should have picked a less regal name to go by. As soon as they finished appointing the mandatory positions, Sparrow walked back outside the room to face her two friends.

"So, what did it go like?" Hammer practically jumped up from the bench she and Walter had found to sit on. Sparrow laughed.

"Sir Walter Beck and head of the Military, Hammer, meet your new Queen Lillian," She laughed as she was swooped into the arms of Hammer and nearly winded in the process. Once she was set down on the ground, Walter crushed her into another hug.

"I'm head of the Military! Fantastic!" Hammer was shouting in the background. Walter was laughing in their hug, pulling the Hero even closer.

"So what does the 'Sir' exactly mean?" He asked as he pulled away a little. She smiled, resting her hands on his chest as she stared up at him happily.

"You're my personal bodyguard," She whispered in a sing-song voice that had him nearly melting. He leaned in closer, their faces only inches away.

"I wish you wouldn't do that," Walter whispered, his breath flooding her face.

"Do what?" she smiled wider as her blue eyes danced happily.

"Be so damn irresistible," He replied, moving over to kiss her gently on the cheek. He pulled away just as Hammer crushed the flustered Hero into another hug.

"Hammer! Hammer! I need to breathe!" Sparrow laughed loudly.


	5. Ballroom Dancing

_**Author's Note: I did not feel like changing the whole entire stories rating, so I am just going to warn you here: THIS DOES CONTAIN A LEMON.**_

_**You have been warned, don't hold it against me.  
**_

Chapter Five: Ballroom Dancing

"I can't do this, I give up. Right now, I give up," Sparrow clenched the wooden railing harder as she stared down the stairs. Walter came to her side, placing a hand over hers. He eyed her seriously, taking in her regal appearance.

She wore a royal dress of stunning blue, her cape a glistening gold. Hammer had styled her hair into coiling red curls that just barely passed the middle of her back. She looked the image of a monarch, and now all she needed was a crown.

Walter pulled her close to his side, intertwining their fingers.

"You don't just give up now. You're a Hero, you've faced more frightening then an excited crowd of villagers," Walter joked as he stared sincerely down into her eyes. She cringed slightly, trying to picture Balverines instead of the crowd of people waiting below. She leaned into him the slightest bit more.

"No, I give up. There is no way I'm going to be able to –" she was cut of when she was suddenly pressed against Walter's chest, her face mere inches from his own as she stood on her tip toes. He cupped her chin and stared deeply into her eyes.

"You'll be fine," He whispered, pulling her the slightest bit closer. She gasped almost inaudibly, letting her eyes flutter closed at the shrinking distance between them. Their lips grazed and a spark was sent down her spine.

"Sp-Lillian! Come on, the people are waiting for you," Hammer came tearing around the corner, pulling the Hero away from Walter. Sparrow still held his gaze over her shoulder, looking to him almost longingly. He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair.

_Balls, _he thought to himself as he followed behind the hurried monk and flustered almost-Queen. They reached the balcony of the castle in a few minutes, and Sparrow walked out into the sunlight calmly. The crowd erupted into shouts and screams of love and adoration, calling for their lovely Hero Queen.

A golden crown was removed from a dashing red pillow. Sparrow kneeled down slowly, letting her red curls fall over one shoulder. The crown slipped onto her head, and the crowd went wild once again. She stood, smiling and waving to the crowd below her. Walter stepped forward next, and she turned to face him. A light pink blush flooded over her cheeks as she took a sword from a nearby guard.

"Walter Beck, I herby appoint you my personal guard," She proclaimed loudly over the crowd as the sword rest gently on both of his shoulders. She smiled to him as he stood, handing the sword back to the guard she had taken it from. Hammer moved into their line of sight next, the Queen pulling her to her side as they both faced the crowd.

"Hammer the Strong, one of my lifelong friends and one of your dear heroes will be taking charge of the Military. She will run it and be part of it herself. Applaud for your new head of Military," The Queen proclaimed happily as Hammer pulled her into a bone-crushing hug. The crowd cheered and laughed at that, and then it was onto the festivities.

They all moved to the giant ballroom of the castle, cramming the selected villagers who had gotten an invitation. Sparrow tried her hardest to never leave Walter's side, but she was torn away again and again by men and women alike asking her for a dance. She obliged, but only Walter could read the unhappiness in her stance and smile. Soon enough, he snagged her away and pulled her close to them as they swayed to the music. Both were aware that almost everyone was watching them, but for once Sparrow did not care.

"Thank you, Walter," She smiled up at him as she relaxed in his arms. He smiled back, letting a low chuckle rumble between them. He pulled her closer, bending down so their faces were only centimeters apart.

"Now where were we?" He asked playfully. She giggled, pulling one hand free from his to knot it in his hair and pull their lips together. He crushed her closer and both became aware of the cheers that were erupting around them. They pulled away, the Queen blushing madly, to continue their dance and try to forget about the others around them. The Queen never stopped blushing or smiling the rest of the night.

Finally, she was also pulled away by Hammer. The two girls made an escape for the balcony, laughing when they finally found somewhere silent.

"He looked to be an amazing kisser," Hammer laughed as Sparrow slapped at her lightly.

"Shut up, Hannah!" She laughed and lunged for the monk. Hammer dodged, but just at the right angle so that Sparrow could throw herself onto the monks' back. Hammer gasped, laughing as they both fell in a heap to the ground.

"Who knew that two girls could be so loud," Walter interjected as he stuck out a hand for both women. Hammer took it first, standing up beside him. Walter then leaned down and scooped Sparrow up into his arms, bridal style.

"Walter!" She squealed, pushing her way out of his arms. He laughed and caged her against him. The three then struck up idle conversation in an attempt to stay away from the raging party. First it was Hammer making fun of them as a couple, to which she almost got a punch to the face from both Queen and guard alike. Then, it was the two Heroes regaling Walter with all the tales of their great quest. They would laugh and have "remember when" moments during that conversation. Before any of them knew it, it was almost morning.

"Come on, your highness, the party has finally ended," Walter laughed as he cast a look inside to find most of the guests had departed a while ago. He took her by the waist and held her at his side as all three fell into step and walked back into the royal building.

"Walter, you might laugh," Sparrow began, looking up to him sheepishly, "But I don't know where my bedroom is," She finished with a blush creeping up her cheeks. Walter did laugh, telling Hammer directions to hers and then taking the Queen with him. They climbed the stairs to the highest point in the castle, reaching the biggest room in a matter of minutes.

"This is where I say goodnight, my dearest Lillian," Walter prepared to back out of the room, once the Queen had smiled and said her thanks. Instead, she grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him down for an intense kiss. He gasped, but then started kissing her back. "Sparrow –"

"Say with me Walter, please?" She asked as she pulled out of the kiss. She had her arms wrapped around his neck, his hands crushing against her waist. Her pleading eyes were two pools of sparkling ocean that Walter could never say no to.

"Sparrow… I'd do anything for you," He state simply, then claiming her lips with his own once again. They fell onto the over-sized bed, a tangle of limbs and mashing lips. Soon enough, Sparrow was under him as he started to remove her corset and cursed dress.

"Mmm, Walter, what are we doing?" She mumbled as he nibbled at her neck and pulled the dress down her body. He let his fingers 'accidentally' brush along the sides of her torso and hips, then gently running down the outside of her thighs. He pulled away to stare her in the eyes.

"I thought you knew, Sparrow," He said, his tone light and affectionate. Sparrow laughed lightly, pulling him in for another heated kiss. She flipped them so that she was on top, straddling him as she stared down into his eyes.

"I love you, Walter," She whispered. She leaned in, and it was then that he realized she still had her crown on. He let her kiss him, but snagged the crown off her head when she did. She laughed into the kiss, pulling away to give him a questioning glance. He just winked, putting the object on the nightstand nearest him.

She shrugged and started to tortuously unbutton his shirt. She pulled the offending garment off of his skin, then kissing small patterns across his chest. He moaned, grasping her hips and grinding them to his. That got a deep moan out of both of them, causing her patterns to falter.

Without any more foreplay, his pants were removed and they were both naked before each other. He flipped her so that she was back underneath, watching her face carefully. He leaned in and kissed her neck, sticking a single finger into her warmth. She gasped, clawing at his back. He slowly brought the finger in and out of her, soon enough adding a second one. She writhed underneath hip, her hips bucking into his fingers motions.

"Walter," Her voice was threatening, saying clearly enough that this better end soon. Walter laughed, pulling his fingers out. She whimpered at that, bucking against his hips slightly. He gasped at the contact, pushing into her a second later. Both moaned deeply at the contact, her fingers digging deeper into his back. She writhed and started to buck her hips just as he did his. Together they reached a fast tempo, moans and panting the only noises now filling the oversized room.

"Walter!" She shouted as she moaned and climaxed around him. He moaned deeply and released inside of her, both then collapsing in a pile of wasted and content bodies.

"My Lillian," He whispered in her ear huskily. She smiled and curled around him, letting a small chirp come out of her lips.

"My knight in shining armor," She whispered back, kissing his chest once before falling asleep. He wrapped his arms around her, pulled the sheets to their waists, and fell asleep with a content smile on his face.

* * *

"Lillian, time to wake up," Walter whispered in her ear. He kissed the base of her neck lightly. She groaned and rolled over in bed.

"Walter, what time is it?" She hissed, throwing an arm over her eyes when he opened the curtains in the room. She poked an eye out and cast him a glare.

"Time for you to get dressed and go do your Queenly duties," He joked, leaning over her once again. She hid behind her arm in hope of avoiding his gaze, but he just chuckled. He leaned in and planted a deep kiss on her lips. Pulling away, he also pulled her into a sitting position.

"If you wake me up every morning, I will live the rest of my life in happiness," She smiled to him, her blue eyes dancing. She quickly snagged a shirt of his off of the floor, noticing he had only bothered to pull on his pants. She slid the garment over her head, slipping out of bed and walking around the room to pick up her outfit. He watched her almost hungrily, noting how well his clothes fit her.

"I think I should like waking you up every morning, Lillian," He laughed, getting up and pushing her towards the doors of her closet. He tossed her the crown, winking to her as he shut the doors.

"And don't come out until you're dressed,"

A small giggle sounded through the doors.


	6. Anger Management

Chapter Six: Anger Management

A few months had passed and Albion had fallen into a peaceful routine. The Queen would walk among the people and try to solve whatever it was that they did not wish to come to court for. Then, she would go back to court and solve those people's problems. All the while, she had to juggle her social events and her strengthening friendship with both Walter and Hammer. Their familiarity had been great the first two weeks of her rule, and now it was a giant relief. There was nothing that could calm her down from a day of stupid court hearings that Hammer's jokes or a simple kiss from Walter. They became her right hand people, always by her side when she needed them.

And now, with Albion following the rule of which they predicted to be one of the best in centuries, she needed all the support she could get. Some riots were starting, mostly about how a Hero knew nothing of ruling a Kingdom. Most people defended her, so she had nothing to worry about, but that still brought up some trouble.

"Ugh, this is so boring," The Queen whined as her head fell limply back against the throne. Her dark red curls were sticking to her neck from the heat of a few hundred bodies packed into one room as well as the heat of her clothes. She wanted nothing more than to go back to her room and get rid of the hot garments.

"This is the last hearing for the day, Lillian," Walter whispered in her ear. She sighed, looking up to him evilly.

"I blame you for talking me into this," She smiled as he just rolled his eyes. Then, the next guest came in and proceeded to whine about how the fields in Brightwood were going through a drought. Sparrow had to hold back her comment about how she was not Avos and could not control the weather. She simply sent him on his way and said that she would check it out as soon as she could. Walter then took her hand and guided her through the pushing crowd. Once outside of the stifling throne room, she leaned up against the wall.

"It is so _hot_ in there," She whined pitifully as she held her curls off of her neck. She pulled the small wool cape off of her back that _Jason_ had suggested she wear. She nearly threw it across the hallway had Walter not taken the object from her.

"There, there. Why don't you go back to the room and get on your old adventuring gear? I think I know just the thing to calm you down," He smiled and pushed her towards the stairs. As she stepped in front of him, he gave a playful smack to her ass. She turned around with a gasp, eyeing him flirtatiously.

"Walter!" She laughed as she ran up the stairs then, changing back into her dark corset, shorts, boots and coat. She still had the crown on her head, afraid to set it down for even a moment. She came back down the stairs with her sword strapped at her hip and gun on her thigh. Walter wrapped his arm around her shoulders and they walked the rest of the way out of the Castle talking amongst themselves.

"Your majesty, may I inquire to where you are going?" One guard piped up from the main entrance of the castle. Sparrow sighed, tossing her curls over her shoulder and looking to him with an almost-annoyed glance.

"Sir Walter and I are going…" She trailed off, looking to Walter for help.

"To Mourningwood for some military check-ups," Walter covered. The guard gave them both a wary look.

"Shouldn't Hammer be doing that?" He asked but when both of them glared to him, he realized he had been out of line. He quickly straightened his stance and remained silent as they passed by him. Sparrow relaxed again against Walter and the carriage ride there was spent with romantic nonsense talk.

They reached Mourningwood and were ambushed by happy soldiers. They laughed and got out of the carriage, smiling and chatting with the soldiers as they gradually made their way into the small camp.

"So, I hear that we have a Queen amongst our ranks," Swift bellowed as he moved forward to cage her into a hug. Sparrow laughed, hugging him back. "Welcome back, Sparrow," He laughed as he set her free. "Although, I am curious as to what brings a Queen back to Mourningwood," Swift continued, eyeing both Walter and Sparrow curiously.

"She needed to blow off some steam, so Hollow Men were just calling her name," Walter chimed in. Sparrow turned to him then, a giant smile on her face.

"I will love you forever if you let me bash their heads in," She laughed as she threw herself into his arms and planted a kiss to his cheek. The crowd around them laughed as well, entertained by the Queens' perfect gift.

"I wouldn't have it any other way," Walter replied, gesturing back out to the setting sun and forest beyond the fort.

"Am I to send anyone out there with you, Your Majesty?" Swift asked jokingly. Sparrow only pulled her gun out of the holster, moving towards the doors with a flip of her hair.

"Walter, hold my crown," She said, tossing the object over her shoulder to him. He laughed, barely catching it before it could hit the ground.

"Have fun," He called after her as the doors shut.

"I'll take that as a no, then," Swift laughed, motioning for Walter to come up to the wall and watch with him.

* * *

Sparrow came back into the camp with a bloodied sword and empty pistol. She had a giant grin on her face, and when Walter came close enough, she threw herself into his arms.

"That was the best anger management ever," She laughed, planting a quick kiss on his lips. He laughed, placing the crown back on top of her head.

"Good, because I doubt if it will be happening again anytime soon," Walter laughed. She smiled, putting her weapons back into their rightful holsters. Swift came up to her and shook her hand vigorously.

"We will look forward to the next time you decide to relieve stress. You saved my men a night of fighting, Majesty," He laughed. She smiled, pulling him into a hug.

"I am sorry you're stationed here. Maybe I can convince Hammer to get you out, station you somewhere nearer to civilization," She smiled up at him, pulling out of their hug.

"Whenever you get around to it. We're tough soldiers, the Swift Brigade can handle anything," Swift declared with a pound of his fist to his other palm. Sparrow laughed, patting his shoulder.

"Thank you for allowing me the luxury of using some of your Hollow Men," she joked, moving back to Walter's side. Swift nodded, pulling Walter in to whisper something in his ear. Walter smiled, nodding and patting the man harshly on the back. Sparrow pulled on his sleeve, looking up to him curiously. Both men just laughed, Walter ushering her back to their awaiting carriage back to the Castle.

"Walter, Majesty, I just wouldn't feel right if I didn't send some soldiers to escort you at least out of Mourningwood," Swift called after them, then turning to his small assortment of men, "Who would like to go with them?" He asked and every single hand flew up in the air. The Queen laughed, walking back over to the group.

"You don't have to –" the Queen began before the General interrupted her again.

"Tom, Johnson and Jacob," Three men popped out of the crowd, their hands stuck to their heads in a proper salute. "You will escort Queen Lillian and Sir Walter back to the Castle without any complaint," Swift said, a small smile creeping over his face.

"Yes, sir!" They all exclaimed in unison, then turning to the Queen with giant grins on their faces.

"You boys listen to your superior too well," The Queen joked as she smiled to the General and motioned for the three men to join them on the carriage. They all got in, the three soldiers holding their guns as they were in the back of the carriage. Walter and Lillian held hands and were just a seat in front of them. They all waved to the group of battered soldiers and hollered their goodbyes.

"I really don't want to go back to the Castle," The Queen joked dryly.

"Oh, it isn't that bad," Walter reassured. The Queen arched her eyebrow at him.


	7. Everything Means Something

Chapter Seven: Everything Means Something

"Balls, this is just what we need," Walter cursed under his breath as the group of mercenaries moved closer. Their guns were pointed clearly at the Queen and Walter, paying no mind to the soldiers on the back of the small wooden cart. They had already shot the driver and the horse, leaving the Hero and soldiers to either surrender or plan some attack in which they would not get their heads blown off.

"The lady with the crown, step out of the cart now," One demanded, a swish of his gun indicating the direction she was to go. Sparrow sighed, stepping down from the cart and walking around to stand in front of the demanding man.

"Is there something I can help you men with? Maybe we can strike an agreement, if you would just –" She was cut off by a harsh blow to her face. She stumbled back with the force of the blow, supporting herself then by a hand on the cart. Walter had nearly jumped out of the cart then, but she had called him off. "I see you are not one for talking."

The mercenary moved closer, pressing the gun up under her chin. He pulled her close, eyeing her evilly.

"So the Queen goes out into the forests with no more then four guards to protect her?" He sneered, bringing her face closer to his forcefully. "A woman like you should have more then just four guards," He continued, his eyes glinting with flirtatiousness. Sparrow sighed, rolling her eyes.

"I really wouldn't piss her off, if I were you," Walter chimed from the cart. Just then, a gunshot sounded. All cringed, wondering who the victim of the shot would be.

The mercenary in front of the Queen fell to the ground and as soon as she was free to turn to the others that surrounded the cart, they all had their weapons on the ground. Sparrow sighed, pointing her gun towards the line of them.

"I've killed more then my fair share of you mercenaries, so I see no reason I should stop now. Give me a reason to spare your lives," She hissed, moving forward to get into a closer range of them. Walter joined her, the other soldiers pointing their guns at the mercenaries as well.

"We didn't mean you any harm, we swear it your Majesty!" One bumbling man piped up from the end of the line. Sparrow pushed past Walter and pushed her gun in his face.

"Surrounding a carriage and killing off the innocent diver as well as his horse does not give the image of meaning no harm. Now tell me, why the hell did you choose to try and rob us, kill us, whatever your motives might have been?" Sparrow was sneering her words into his face, not paying any mind to Walter. He was trying to get her to back down, but knew she had a wild and uncontrollable temper.

"W-we just followed him, ma'am," The same man bravely sputtered out. Sparrow sighed, pulling back from the group of men. She faced them, one hand on her hip and the other still pointing her gun towards them. In one breath, she started firing. The thin line of men fell to the ground, now limp and lifeless. Sparrow turned around, anger seething from her visibly now.

"Lillian," Walter put a hand on her shoulder, only to have her shake it off.

"Why do I have to do that, Walter? Why should I have to kill _men_ who don't know better then to waste their lives?" She turned towards the man, anger turning into confusion and depression. Her eyes were welling with tears and she still had an angry fist clenched around her gun. Walter sighed, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Those weren't men. They were humans turned monsters who enjoyed killing because it was _fun_," Walter reassured. Sparrow sighed, shifting uncomfortably on her feet.

"I've killed so many, Walter. Now, I took family from whoever loved them. I took away their lives, made it so that whomever they promised they would come back… now they have broken promises," Sparrow looked down to the ground pitifully. She pulled away from Walter, turning to start walking down the path that lead back to Oakfield. Walter rushed to follow her, as did the soldiers.

"Lillian, those men knew there was a possibility they would die today when they set foot outside of their houses," Walter stated as he reached her side. She looked away from him, meeting eyes with the forest that surrounded them. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks. She placed a hand on Walters arm, pulling him to a stop as well. "What is it?" He asked, trying to follow her gaze into the forest.

She didn't reply, simply pulled out her gun and fired a single shot into the thick leaves. Instead of a hollow ring sounding out through the forest, the bullet sounded as though it hit something, though it could have just been a tree. And then the highwaymen surrounded them.

"Today is just not our day," She growled, putting her gun away and grabbing her sword. "Don't shoot, they're too fast for bullets. Use your swords," She called over her shoulder to the soldiers and Walter. She lunged into combat with the nearest one, successfully slamming him against a tree and giving her the chance to go and help the inexperienced younger soldiers. Before she could reach them, two were already on their knees at the mercy of the highwayman. Sparrow stabbed him in the gut before he could finish them off.

She turned at the last second, receiving a blow to the gut as she doubled over. Walter dispatched of his attacker, rushing to her side.

"Lillian!" He shouted as she barely dodged an attack with a sword. She instead got a nasty cut on her thigh.

"Damn it, Walter, pay attention behind you!" She shouted, ducking from another attack as best she could. Walter was pushed to the ground under the foot of one highwayman, Sparrow being thrown to the ground beside him. She gasped, lurching up just in time to see the three soldiers receive their ending blow. Walter pulled her to him, putting his body in front of hers as best as possible.

"Young Queen of Albion, our leader would very much like to have a word with you," One masked man sneered. Sparrow had buried her face in Walters' back, crying over the loss of the soldiers lightly.

"Tell him to go to hell," She growled, standing up only to be shoved painfully back down to her knees. She gasped as the gash on her thigh started pulsating with pain. Walter tried desperately to angle himself in front of her, both as his duty as her personal guard, and as her lover. His eyes were meeting the masked man's fiercely, even though they were both kneeling before the remaining two men.

"We sure do have a feisty ruler these days," The man pushed Walter aside forcefully, the other man holding him down. The first man snagged Lillian's face in his hand, pulling them closer. "But then, you were the one who killed my father. You were also the one who put our little… organization in the gutters when you defeated Lucian. It really has been hell since you took up ruling this new… peaceful Albion," The man hissed. Lillian withered into his touch, her eyes looking up to him as if she were completely heartbroken.

"I killed your father?" She asked in a whisper of a voice. Walter lurched forward as he realized that she was doing it again. She was slinking back into her silent, Sparrow state. She was letting the guilt eat her away again.

"Yes, but you probably don't remember him. It was on your way to Brightwood, ready to go to Wraithmarsh. You probably also don't remember the small boy hidden in the forest and forced to watch his father die," The man spat, throwing her to the ground after a harsh slap to her face. She fell in a limp heap at his feet, staring up at him through tear-clouded eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but you don't have to forgive me. You deserve to kill me, after all that I've put you through," She whispered, still looking up to him as he shoved the blade of his sword in her face.

"Don't you lay a hand on her!" Walter shouted, struggling against the other man.

"Oh, is this your personal guard? Sir… Walter, was it?" The first recalled, changing his glance to lock with Walters'. Sparrow lay still on the ground, not moving from the spot to which the man had thrown her. "Do I also sense something more between you two?" He asked, teasingly slicing a cut across Walters' cheek. Walter hissed in pain, watching as Sparrow tensed.

"What do you want from me?" She asked in a venomous voice. The man looked back to her, sword still pointed to Walter.

"Oh, just the sweet revenge that my father so deserves," He replied dryly, as if killing would be no big deal.

Sparrow slowly moved into a kneeling position, her eyes connecting with Walters' for the briefest second. He saw hell in those eyes, if even for a split second. The next instant, both men were on fire as she stood up, glowing a brilliant blue. Walter lurched away from the flaming man who had been holding him, pulling out of the way of her wild flames.

Eventually, tears started to cascade down her delicate face. She fell to her knees, slapping her hands to the ground weakly as flames pulsated from her still. Walter moved closer, placing a hand on her back to let her know he was there. She stopped the flames, throwing herself against his chest and weeping uncontrollably.

She was a monster, a true monster. How many families had she done this to now? The man had plainly said that she had made him watch his father being killed. She had put a small child through hell and didn't even know it until it was her turn to kill the boy. She was a monster who had been used for someone else's personal gain.

Angrily, she pulled her head off of Walter's chest. The tears were still falling down her face, her breathing heavy and labored. She turned her head to the sky, calling out angrily.

"Teresa! Teresa! I know you're watching this!" She stood then, grabbing her sword from the ground. Walter was watching her, trying desperately to stop her before she went to far. But then, a red-cloaked woman stood behind them both. Sparrow whirled, her eyes on fire as she glared at the woman.

"What the hell did you use me for? Why me? Why did this have to be me?" She yelled at the woman, swinging towards her angrily with her Katana. Teresa dodged the object lithely, moving to the other side of the Hero.

"Sparrow, I want you to calm down. You cannot think clearly like this," Teresa said in a calming voice. Sparrow didn't listen.

"I trusted you! You were like a mother to me! Why the hell would you use me for something like this? I trusted you!" She shouted, lunging for the woman again. This time, Walter snaked his arms around her waist. He held her there with one arm as he moved his other hand to crush her wrist with just enough pressure to cause her to let her sword drop. He held her still, pulling her closer so that he could talk to her.

"Lillian, listen to her. You're not thinking clearly. It's been a rough day –" He was cut off as she whirled out of his arms to glare to him, tears staining her face still.

"A rough day? Can you say that to those three over here who so willingly volunteered to escort us home? Can you tell them that this has 'just been a rough day'? Can you tell their families that they just 'had a rough day'?" She was practically screaming at them both, her frustration evident all over her. She was not the same person she had been two hours ago. She was not collected anymore, and Walter was beginning to see the tormented Hero no one else knew about.

"Sparrow, please, this is all just so fresh. Let's get you calmed down before we do anything else," Teresa spoke calmly again, daringly moving to the Hero's side. She wrapped her arms around the Hero's shoulders, pulling her into a motherly embrace. Sparrow crumpled into her arms, wrapping her arms around the slight woman.

"Mother, I just don't know what to do anymore," Sparrow whispered as she went completely limp and both women fell to their knees. Walter moved up behind the Hero, putting a hand on her back and rubbing reassuring circles.

"My dear Sparrow, it will all be alright in the end. Everything has a purpose, even all of this killing you so despise. It was all for a greater cause, was it not? And now, you are living the life that you wished for with your sister. You wished to live in the castle. Imagine how jealous Rose is right now," Teresa smiled under her hood, pulling the Hero into her lap just like a mother would. Walter could see that the ten years they had spent together in a gypsy camp had forged a strong bond between them.

Sparrow pulled away, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands. She turned to Walter and pulled him into a gentle hug.

"I'm sorry you had to see me like this," She apologized softly, letting him cage her to his chest and kiss the top of her head lightly.

"If it means that you got it out of your system, so be it. I really do hate seeing you like this, though," He whispered, kissing the top of her forehead again. She smiled slightly, looking back to Teresa from his arms.

"I'm sorry I was so angry at you," She smiled weakly, letting the blind seeress know she really meant it. Teresa jus smiled, laughing a bit.

"Oh, I've been through worse, my dear Sparrow," The seeress leaned in and pecked the girl's cheek, then vanishing before their eyes.

_Everything means something in the end, Hero_.


	8. Dress

Chapter Eight: Dress

The walk back to Mourningwood was silent. Sparrow had fashioned a cot to put the three men on – she refused to call them bodies – and they were dutifully returning them to their brigade. Sparrow was already a mess simply _thinking_ about what Swift would say, what he would _think_ about her when he saw that she had gotten his three men killed.

"Lillian, it will be all right," Walter piped up from beside her as they both towed the cart of bodies behind them. Lillian simply hung her head, shadows cresting over her eyes. She let out a deep sigh.

"I know… but even still, it hurts. You saw me before… back there…" she glanced briefly into his eyes, watching him, "It hurts, Walter."

"I know it does, Lillian. But you have to listen to Teresa as well. Things always pass with time," He gave her a reassuring smile, desperately wanting to drop the dead bodies and simply hug her. He wanted to be able to make all her fears and troubles subside and vanish, but he knew that would never happen.

"Thank you, Walter," She smiled, her eyes for once sparkling with true happiness on this dreary day. Walter nodded, although he wasn't sure what he had done.

Soon enough, they reached the small encampment of the Swift Brigade. Walter opened the doors for Sparrow, letting her in as her face fell back into the dreary confines of death.

"Young Queen, I thought I send you off – oh my," Swift came down from the stairs, catching sight of the mangled bodies on the cart. Sparrow sighed, placing the cart down and moving towards him.

"I'm so sorry Swift. I couldn't protect them; no matter how hard I tried… They went down like real men, though," Sparrow whispered, her mind slipping back to the tormented Hero state it was almost always locked in. Swift was just shaking his head, staring at Sparrow like he wanted to say something more then what was written on his face or in his eyes.

"Well, I can't say that I'm shocked. And I won't say that this is your fault, because it's not. All I can say is that we better get them out of Mourningwood before they turn to Hollow Men and try to attack us. Last thing we would want would be for the families to get a skeleton instead of bodies," Swift was speaking in a sarcastic tone, clearly not as horrible a reaction as the Queen would have liked or suspected. She blinked twice, looking to him in shock.

"R-really?" She stuttered, even more shocked when two young men came to take the cart, five others following them as they wordlessly walked out of the encampment. Sparrow stared after them, a warning on the tip of her tongue, but Swift pulled her into a surprise hug. She gasped, then relaxing into his arms. "Swift?"

"You looked like you needed a hug, m'dear. Though, why Walter hadn't given you one yet is beyond me," Swift laughed lightly, getting a protest from Walter.

Sparrow found herself completely happy for once. She found that she really did have people out there who care for her, even if they did seem distant at times. Silently, she started crying again. She wordlessly pulled Walter closer, hugging both men to her as she wept lightly.

"Thank you, both of you. I don't know where I'd be without either of you," She confessed, feeling them smile and pull her closer into their awkward three-person hug.

"Well, what is a Queen without some loyal servants behind her?" Swift joked, ruffling the Queens' matted and tangled red curls. She blubbered out a trying-to-be laugh, but it was lost in her crying.

* * *

_**(Warning, Lemon ahead)**_

They were back in the castle, the Queen being swept away almost immediately. All anyone wanted to know was where they two of them went for two days and why she had come back so muddy and bruised. The Queen had forced a smile and dryly delivered the comment of her fighting Hollow Men by Walter's side, looking them straight in the eyes as she described some rather gory details. The group of maids that surrounded her left with dark looks cast over their shoulders, allowing her to once again be saved by Walter.

They wordlessly went to her room, conjoined by their hands. The Queen didn't even let go to allow him into a different bathroom. She insisted that he come with her and help her wash off some of the grime and mud she would rather not have touched by maids. He had smiled at that, laying a tender kiss on her lips as the clumsily found their way to the bathroom.

At first, it was clumsily turning on the water with sloppy kisses planted all over bodies. Then, it was disrobing their bodies and pressing further into the craved heat of flesh on flesh. Their kisses never stopped, the moans never ceasing. Soon enough, they fell into the water, Walter on top of the Queen. Water splashed and spilled, rolling over the floor in sudsy waves. Panting and moans were replaced by begging for more, arching into the touches and craving more.

As soon as Walter entered her, the Queen could feel thousands of pounds of stress leave her body completely. She moaned loudly, clawing at his back and desperately pulling him closer for more. They found a rhythm that drove them both over the edge in a blinding show of white pleasure and searing lust. The Queen laughed, pulling away and weakly reaching for a washcloth. She started to rub soothing circles on Walters' chest as she relaxed against him.

"Gods, thank you Walter. You have no idea how much I needed that," She muttered, planting a kiss to the base of his neck. He smiled, sitting up and grabbing another washcloth. He turned her around, stopping her cleansing circles on his chest as he began his own on her back. He massaged her shoulders, calming the tense muscles that had coiled and refused to let go. She leaned back into him, arching as he started to massage down her back.

"That's what loyal servants are for, milady," He jokingly whispered in her ear. She moaned as he reached her hips, massaging the soft skin there with soap and rough hands. She turned around, moving her cleansing ministrations to his biceps and lovely muscular arms. They both stopped all conversation, simply lost in watching each other's body. Soon, Walter abandoned the washcloth and reached for the shampoo. He lathered his hands and began slowly rubbing it into her dark red, cascading curls. She moaned and went completely lax against his chest as all tension left her body.

"Walter," She moaned, wrapping her arms around his torso and pulling their bodies closer. He smiled, continuing his relaxing techniques on her hair. Soon enough, he pulled his hands away and began lazily running water over the soap-covered curls. She smiled and snuggled closer, kissing his chest gently as she did so. "Did I ever mention just how much I love you?" She asked, pulling away to look him in the eyes.

He pulled her in for a passion-blinding kiss, both losing any coherent thought. He smiled as he pulled away, "No, but you could stand to mention it more," He smiled, kissing her again.

The next few hours were spent cleaning each other, relaxing tense muscles, and simply getting addicted to both body and the words "I love you." There was nothing that would have pulled the couple from their heavenly moment, had Hammer not waltzed in, thinking it was only Sparrow.

"Lillian, I need your advise on – oh gods! Sorry!" She backed out almost as soon as she had come in, a deep red blush crossing her cheeks. Walter laughed, the Queen simply blushing. Lillian pulled out of the water, drying off and snagging one of Walter's shirts to slip into. As she walked, she noticed she was still completely relaxed.

"What is it, Hammer?" She laughed, slapping the blushing monk harshly on the shoulder as she moved to get a hairbrush. She sat on the edge of her bed, brushing her hair over her shoulder as she eyed the monk.

"Well, I needed your advise on a dress that I was planning on wearing –" She was cut off as the Queen nearly dropped her brush.

"You? Wearing a dress? Who's the guy? Oh, and what color! I can get you anything you want, Hammer! And this time, I do insist on using my power as a Queen for this!" Sparrow leapt from the bed, pulling the giant monk into a hug. Hammer was laughing, hugging her best friend back.

Walter came out of the bathroom, hair dripping onto his still-bare chest as he watched the two girls start to flip through books of dresses. The Queen still had on only his shirt, and it seemed she had forgotten that small detail. Her long, creamy legs were exposed nearly to her rear, and she was not doing anything to hide that fact. Both girls were lost in the book, so Walter decided it best he leave them.

"Well, my Queen, I am off to tell the pesky servants that you will, in fact, be needing dinner tonight," He smiled, walking over to plant a kiss on her forehead. Hammer made an 'aww' sound at this, leaning in to observe the couple. Sparrow slapped her.

"Well, don't take too long. Hammer might need another man's opinion on this dress of hers," Sparrow joked towards her friend before she was tackled to the bed and both commenced a fit of laughter. Walter chuckled, walking out of the door with a slight smile on his face.

"Hammer! Gods, Hammer! Stop that!" The Queen's shout could be heard down the hall, followed by another bout of laughter.

* * *

"Wow," Walter whistled in shock as he stared at the monk. Hammer blushed and the Queen gave him an arched eyebrow look.

"I hope you know who is in the room," she laughed, Walter casting her a 'you honestly think I would do that' look. He then turned his gaze back to the monk.

Her dress was a deep green, hugging her in all the right places. The body of the dress was tight, but it flared out slightly at the hips. On the skirt were a few rows of lighter, mint green ruffles. Hammer's hair had also been pulled into a loose bun of sorts, curls still cascading down her back, but in a much more refined manner. It was evident that she was wearing just a dash of face paint, but Walter thought that the green eye shadow pulled the outfit together even better.

"You wanted a man's opinion, and I think this should suffice," Walter laughed, giving her another 'wow' look and whistle.

"Thanks, Walter. I just really hope he likes it…" She trailed off, looking to her friend nervously.

"You haven't even told me who he is, Hammer. So, spill!" Sparrow moved forward, wrapping her arms around Walter and pulling herself to his side.

"Well, it's someone you know…" Hammer blushed, looking to the ground sheepishly.

"Well, c'mon. Lord tell me that it's not Reaver. I might actually have to take a swing at you if you said that," Sparrow joked, eyeing her friend with curiosity.

"It might be a certain wizard…"

"Oh my gosh!" Sparrow shouted, propelling herself into another hug with Hammer. "Garth is the luckiest man on earth!" She shouted again, hugging her tightly.

"Well, I don't know," Walter shot back, playfully smacking his Hero's ass.

"Hey!" A unison of female voices sounded at his action and remark.

_**Author's Note: Before you say anything about the paring GarthXHammer, I don't care. I realize it isn't widely supported, or maybe it is and I just haven't found it, but either way, I like it. So, here is my side-attempt at creating it. Enjoy!**_


	9. Don't Forget to Invite Incredible Me!

Chapter Nine: Don't Forget to Invite Incredible Me!

Hammer smiled to the wizard from on top of the stairs. She saw his face brighten considerably as he spotted her, making her heart leap in her chest. She smiled, meeting him halfway down the marble stairs that lead to the ballroom.

"Hello, my dear lady," Garth delivered smoothly. She blushed as he took her hand, placing his lips on her fingers gently. He pulled her closer, hooking his arm around her waist.

"Hello, Garth," She smiled back, leaning into his body as they pulled closer. She felt the blush deepen on her face and it was then she realized she hadn't felt this girly in a long while. He smiled, pulling her in for a kiss. Their lips met and she felt her heart sputter and attempt to restart. He pulled away, blue will lines glowing with the pulsing of his heart.

"May I have this dance?' He asked, a smile on his white-beard framed lips. He pulled her closer, both walking down the stairs to join the sea of colorful ballroom dancers.

"Did you see that? Walter?" The Queen excitedly turned towards her escort. He laughed, wrapping his arm tighter around her waist to place a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Yes, I did. Seems that all Hero's are getting some romance these days," He joked, laughing as she pulled him down into the crowd. He studied her back, noticing how her all-too-revealing, tightly bound regal red dress glistened in the light. Her curls caught the light just perfectly, causing both her hair and crown to glow royally. She looked the picture of elegance and leadership tonight, and some part of him felt accomplished that he got to keep such a treasure all to himself.

They started in on a dance, swaying in time with the crowd. The couples were all laughs, and when the first call for switch of partners lead for Garth to dance with the Queen and Hammer with Walter, all laughed and exchanged humored glances. The Queen bowed to her friendly wizard, letting him pull her into his arms and commence the upbeat dance. They also took the opportunity to catch up and laugh about the old times. Eventually, they were paired with someone else. Almost everyone glared daggers to the next men who got to dance with the Queen and Hammer, or the women who got to dance with Garth and Walter. Next, they were back with their old partners, ending the dance with a twist into the arms of their lovers. Sparrow pulled out of Walter's arms and pulled Hammer into a giant hug. Both men saw her whisper something to the monk, the monk turning five shades of red before the girls pulled away laughing.

"What did you say to her?" Walter whispered in her ear as she came back to his side, curiosity getting the better of him. She just smiled.

"I told her she could use one of the guest rooms, if she wished," She smiled, earning a chastising look from Walter. She just laughed, moving in his arms to pull him into another dance. "And if you notice, they're already gone," she smiled before the music swept them away.

They danced the night away, all worries and responsibilities leaving the Queen and her escort. They drank, laughed, twirled and fell to the ground with the rest of the guests. For once, the Queen was just a part of her people. The ball went on as if the Queen was just herself again, nothing to get in the way of her social duties.

"Majesty," Someone piped up, snapping the Queen's attention to her left. Walter still had an arm wrapped around her waist, holding her drunken body against his as they both smiled to their oncoming visitor.

"Yes?" Sparrow replied, looking quizzically to the young boy. He was only about 13, shorter then most in attendance. At her reply, he lowered his head to the ground.

"I'm sorry," He whispered. Before either of the couple could ask what he was sorry for, he quickly pulled a gun on the Hero. Citizens backed away with a rushed gasp, forming a circle as they left the two to stand alone with the boy and gun. Sparrow lifted her hands, Walter doing the same.

"What are you thinking, boy?" She asked, her voice falling back to a serious tone. She was mentally calculating the chances she had of shooting a fireball at him and not having him scorched to a crisp. She wanted answers and roasting him would not get her any.

"I'm sorry," He repeated, his eyes hollow as he stared ahead at the two of them.

"If it's money you want, we can give it to you," Walter offered, the Queen for once not shooting him a sharp look. The boy faltered for a second, his brilliant blue eyes falling again to the ground.

"I was forced to do this," He muttered, his eyes sharply snapping back to the Queen. Sparrow almost sighed as her eyes hardened.

"You aren't _forced_ to do anything. You still have your free will," Sparrow spat at the boy, her dislike for brainwash implanted deep into her mind. The boy looked at her for a second, shock over his already depressed features. His eyes seemed to start contemplating what she was saying to him.

"B-but –" The boy suddenly gasped, blood shooting from his forehead as his skull burst. He fell to the ground as all around gasped and the Queen lurched back from the explosion of blood.

"Hello, my fair Queen!" An obnoxious voice sounded from the top of the stairs. At this point, the people were all a frenzy of shouts and screams, most of the women collapsed on the floor from fainting.

"All right, all right people! Calm down!" Walter was walking away from the Queen, calming down the riled crowd. He hadn't heard the voice from the stairs, but the Queen was already moving in that direction. She had reached the top of the stairs and was face to face with Reaver.

"What's the big idea, Reaver?" She shouted, stopping in her tracks as they came mere feet apart. She coiled back her hand and delivered a hard slap to his cheek. He laughed as he recoiled from the blow, then glaring daggers her way.

"Oh, well you didn't invite _incredible me_ to the part, so I thought I would do it myself," He smiled manically, pulling her close with a forced arm around her waist. She growled, slapping at his arm and lurching away.

"Why the _hell_ would I invite _you_? Obviously," Sparrow gestured dramatically to the crowd of people and the mess he had made, "I had good reason _not_ to!" She spat in his face, her hand recoiling this time in a fist. He caught her hand before she could actually land the punch.

"Oh, but sweet Sparrow, you just learned to speak and everything. I wouldn't want to miss your first words, now would I?" Reaver leaned in, talking as if to a toddler. Sparrow was fuming by this point, sincerely wishing she had more then Will to call a weapon. Suddenly, however, she was swept away and Walter was in front of her. She smiled when she knew that Reaver wouldn't live very much longer, having touched her the way he did.

"Can the Queen help you with something?" Walter spat, wrapping an arm securely around the fuming Queen. Sparrow wrapped her arms just as tightly around his torso, both glaring daggers to the flamboyant man.

"Lillian? What happened?" Hammer came around the corner, Garth hot on her heels. When the saw Reaver, both stopped dead in their tracks and threw glares his way. Reaver just sighed and did a dramatic flip of his hair.

"Oh, am I _that_ disliked?" He smiled, laughing as he darted in a flash to plant a kiss on the Queen's cheek. She fumed, but held Walter back when he lunged for him.

"Yes," came the hissed, simultaneous reply. Reaver feigned hurt as he swept his hand over his head. Walter took that chance to pull a gun on him, only to have the Dragonstomper .48 shoved back in his face. Sparrow pulled Walter back, positioning herself in front of the gun.

"Idiot, he's a Hero of Skill," She hissed, pushing Walter further back. At this point, Hammer had moved to Sparrow's side and Garth was slowly glowing brighter and brighter.

"Hmm, still haven't trained the pet, I see," Reaver sighed, putting the gun back on his hip. He leaned in, cupping the Hero's face and bringing her closer. He winked to her, sneering as her upper lip curled in disgust. "Tatty bye! It really was fun to see the reactions you people give me," He laughed, leaning in and scooping the Hero into a deep kiss. Then, right as she was about to start fighting back, he whirled away in a swift motion of red cape, leaving the group of Hero's to stare after him in disgust and confusion.

"Reaver! Why did you kill that boy?" Sparrow shouted after him through gritted teeth, her attention brought back to the body that now lay in the center of the ballroom. Reaver just threw a half-wave over his shoulder as he winked again.

"Because it is simply the most fun a man can have, my little _minx_," He laughed again, exiting the room with just as much flourish as when he had entered.

"What. The Hell. Just happened?" Walter questioned in broken sentences. All the Heroes threw him a 'hell-if-I-know' look.

Reaver really was a whirlwind of insanity, death, and misfortune.

* * *

_**Author's Note: So, this is the part where you look at me and go 'the hell did that come from'? And my answer to you is "A glitch in the game, my dears!"**_

_**I was playing the part in Fable 2 where you were in Reaver's Rear Passage (Which that title alone leaves much to the imagination) and had to fight the soldiers. All of a sudden, Reaver freezes. So, knowing I can't go anywhere without him, I decide to push his useless ass. All. The. Way. Out.**_

_**15 minutes later, he suddenly snaps to life, pushes me out of the way saying "What do you think you're doing! Don't get in the way of incredible me!"**_

_**So, both this chapter came about because of this, and a piece of art I found. If you want to see the art, you will have to PM me, because I still have no idea how to get this thing to let me link stuff in chapters. So, PM me for some more "Incredible me" fun! :D The art is not mine, because I lack that talent, but someone apparently experienced the same thing.**_

_**I hope you enjoyed!**_


	10. What I Could Say

Chapter Ten: What I Could Say

The Queen paced in the throne room, her hands clasped behind her back as she stared at her hurriedly back and forth feet. Her lips were pursed in thought, her eyebrows cinched together. She was mumbling under her breath a steady stream of curse words, her thoughts finally escaping her mouth.

"Lillian, I know you didn't want to see the kid die, but maybe –" Hammer began to try and console her friend for thousandth time that night, but the Hero would have none of it.

"No, Hammer, it means something. What other reason does Reaver have to come waltzing into the castle and shoot someone? Target practice?" The Hero shot back, her curse words faltering for a second as she stopped pacing to communicate with the Strength Hero.

"She is right, Hannah," Garth chimed in, but he knew better then to get too logical on the woman he knew could throw him down in a fight easily.

"Look, all I'm trying to say is that this is what he probably wanted to happen. He wanted you to lose sleep over something he sees as no more then a game," Hammer continued, shooting the wizard a pointed look. Garth smiled nervously, winning over the monk and she relaxed. Sparrow shot a glance between the two.

"You really think so?" She asked, stopping in her tracks and standing to face them both. Hammer nodded, Garth shrugging with her.

"Lillian, what does this man hate so much about you?" Walter asked as he came into the room, the grand doors slamming shut behind him. He walked down the middle aisle, reaching the three Heroes and standing next to Hammer.

"It's not what he hates, it's what he _likes_. I never told you guys this," Sparrow began, walking back to the throne and taking a seat, "but to get him to join us on our quest, he wanted some rather… embarrassing things out of me. He said I could choose one or the other, and I chose the latter. I think he still wants more then just a sacrifice to the Shadow Court," Sparrow stated, hesitation in her voice as she told this story to Walter. She could see the anger in his eyes and she knew him well enough to know that he was silently cursing himself for not being there to protect her. But, he managed to keep his anger under wraps in the presence of the other Heroes.

"So you think this is a personal thing?" Garth asked, but then preceded to answer his own question, "It very well could be. In Samarkland, he never _shut up_ about returning to his old house in Bloodstone," Garth almost growled, obviously not too pleased with the memories.

"W-wait, you mean the mansion?" Sparrow leaned forward in her chair, looking to Garth intently. The man nodded, looking to her quizzically as the others joined in on his confusion. Sparrow leapt out of her chair, blowing past the Heroes and Walter without even an explanation.

"I think I know what he wants. Damn it!" She cursed as she blew out of the room. A few seconds passed before Walter was rushing after her. He was the first to reach her, both now in their room with Hammer and Garth coming up the stairs. Sparrow was already changing out of her formal red dress, pulling on her adventuring clothes. She had also grabbed a ribbon and was trying to pull her now-messy curls into a ponytail.

"Sparrow, Sparrow, slow down," Walter rested his hands on hers as she got frustrated with the ribbon. She looked to him, her intent clear in her eyes.

"What, Walter?"

"What does he want? And why do you think you get to do this alone?" The part of 'I'm-coming-with-you-no-matter-what' was left unspoken, but Sparrow could read between the lines.

"It's nothing you would understand. It was something…" She trailed off, shaking her head. "Never mind that. Look, I have to go alone. He'll kill you the instant he sets eyes on you, if you're lucky enough to have the grace of looking at his face," Sparrow spat, finally succeeding in getting her hair into a ponytail. She placed the crown in Walter's hands, rushing into the armory to grab her sword and gun.

"Sparrow, wait a second. How can you expect us to just sit still and watch you walk to your doom?" Hammer was holding her friend still now, the girls pulled close together as they looked each other in the eyes. Sparrow was determined, her eyebrows arching in almost-anger.

"I don't expect you to watch," She mumbled. Hammer nodded her approval, letting the Hero go. In a whirl of movement, Sparrow had hit all of them over the head with the butt of her gun, watching as they fell to the ground, now unconscious.

"I'm so sorry," She mumbled, running out the door and heading on her way to Bloodstone.

* * *

"Reaver!" Sparrow called the thieves name angrily, storming inside of the mansion. She hadn't lived here in years, but she technically still owned it. That was part of what she figured Reaver wanted back. But, she wasn't going to sell for just any price.

"Ah, my little _minx_, you finally connected the dots, I see," Reaver greeted as she stormed into the main room. She cringed as she remembered all the people he had slain her just for the sake of his vanity.

"You killed a man in my ballroom because you wanted your _house_ back?" She snarled, nearing the thief with determination and anger in her eyes. He laughed, wrapping an arm around her waist. To his surprise, she had a gun pulled on him in the same second. He let his arm go limp around her waist, his other lifting up in a surrender motion.

"Hmm, well, that is the rather… _bland_ way of looking at it. I prefer to look at it as though I was simply dropping hints for you," He smiled that annoying, cocky smile that fit his smirking face so well. She rolled her eyes, shoving the gun further into his face.

"Give me one god damn good reason why I shouldn't just shoot you where you stand," Sparrow demanded, severe evil glinting in her eyes for the first time since she chose the Sacrifice as her wish. Her Halo had even diminished some, although she could admit that she was a bit happier about the halo vanishing then others were.

"Well, I could say so many things, but I will stick with the things I am sure you will listen to," He lurched forward, snapping her wrist up and knocking the gun to the ground. He had her whirled around, her arm pinned up in the air as her other was twisted behind her back. He then pressed his body flush up against the back of hers.

"I _could_ say that I know _exactly_ who your lover is, where you live, where precious Hammer and Garth now live as well. I _could _say that I also know your most precious treasury is under your personal guard, although I have no use for the money. And I _could_ say that I am a Hero of Skill and could shoot you where you stand, probably without you even noticing that I had reached for my gun."

He pulled her closer, leaning in and nipping at her neck. He licked down the skin there, biting her earlobe hard enough to draw blood. She lurched, only to cause her arms to bend at even a more impossible angle.

"But instead, what I will say, is that you still owe me a… _favor._ I did after all drop everything, watch my precious ship get destroyed, and almost get killed myself for your own selfish 'help-the-world' nonsense. So, in short, my little _minx_," He kissed down her neck, sucking at her collarbone as she protested with all her might. Instead, she was left with a red mark already throbbing. "You still owe me more then you would care to admit,"

"You're a monster, Reaver," She spat as she was whirled around and pressed to his chest. He winked, pulling their faces closer together.

"I've been told so before, my dearest Queen. Although, then it is more in the context of the bedroom activities," He smiled, pulling her in for a forced and very rough kiss. She fought through all of it, but somehow she knew she wouldn't win this night.

So, she submitted and hoped that he would get his fill sooner rather then later.

_**Author's Note: So, instead of torturing you with brutal Reaver, I have left that up to your imaginations. You can take it anywhere you like, if you have a mind to write it. Just, please, be sure that you either give credit for the set up to me, or link people to my story. That would be really nice.**_

_**Also... I don't know about you, but I can see a really... love-sick-triangle starting to form. How about you all?  
**_

_**Hope you enjoyed!  
**_


	11. Do It In The Throne Room

Chapter Eleven:

Sparrow awoke with Reaver sprawled over her, her wrists still above her head in painful handcuffs. She felt disgust spread through her body as she remembered all the activities that had taken place last night. Without thinking, she bucked her hips harshly and threw Reaver out of the bed. He landed with a resounding _thud_ on the wooden floor to her left.

"That is by far the most creative awakening I have ever gotten," He groaned a few seconds later, his head popping above the mattress a little. Sparrow shot him a glare.

"Unlock me. Now." She hissed through gritted teeth. He laughed, standing up and turning his back to her. As he did, he started to gather his clothes and put them on one article at a time. Sparrow averted her eyes to the desperately-in-need-of-repair window.

"I rather like the idea of your precious pets coming to find you. I don't think I will," He smiled, casting her a wink over his shoulder. He then placed a hand on the doorknob, looking directly over to her. "_Do_ tell me if something else should happen. Tatty bye!" And then, with a swish of red and black, he was gone.

Sparrow felt as if she could cry. She knew what he was talking about, and she knew it was an al-too-likely possibility. The monster had left her here, strapped to a bed, waiting for Walter, Hammer, or Garth to miraculously show up. Sparrow felt dread sink deeper into her chest.

What the hell had she been thinking? What was her brilliant idea, coming here _alone_ to deal with a maniac? She had to have had something better then handing herself over to him. Though, now that she looked at it, she really didn't.

"Do you need some help, Sparrow?" Teresa whispered from her side. Sparrow jumped at first, but then relief swept over her.

"Teresa," She stated simply as the woman worked on getting the handcuffs off. Once the metal fell loosely behind the bed, Sparrow lurched to her feet and started pulling on her clothes.

"You should think things through better, Sparrow," Teresa chastised calmly. Sparrow shot her a 'not now' look and started hunting for her weapons. "Sparrow, you know that you are dying, correct?" Teresa asked suddenly. Sparrow stopped in her tracks. She gave the Seeress a quizzical look.

"How'd you know about that?" She asked, her voice uncertain.

"Did you forget where I live, Hero?" She asked, her blind features contorting in a somewhat glare.

"Look, I'm happy where I am now. I don't need another lecture on how I should be out looking for a cure. Death can find me whenever it wants to," Sparrow sighed, attaching her weapons to her side and thigh. The seeress still eyed her critically.

"You know you need two children by the time you die, correct? I have shown you the vision," Teresa stated, still looking disappointed in the Hero. Sparrow simply sighed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. But you saw what Reaver just did right? With any luck –" Sparrow cut off to choke back the vomit that was threatening to pool out of her mouth, "He'll be the one for the first child. And then there's always Walter," Sparrow explained, sighing when the seeress simply vanished with a glare cast to the Hero.

What was she going to say to Walter and the others? What was her lie going to be? Could she keep it up, put on a fake smile and act as though nothing ever happened? And how was she going to tell Walter that she was (maybe) pregnant?

She sighed again, pulling herself together as best as she could. She needed to find a bathroom and at least attempt to control the unruly mess her hair had become. So, she stood back up, squared her shoulders, and headed down the halls. As she passed the entryway, she heard an all-too-familiar voice.

"Sparrow! Are you in here? Lillian!" Walter was at the door, looking inside with his hand cupped to his mouth to amplify his shouts. Sparrow quickly rushed to the nearest bathroom, hurriedly pulling a brush through her hair. There was no way that she was going to let him see her such a mess.

As soon as she got the last stroke in and her hair was curling neatly again, she leapt out the window. Walter was still searching the house, and at least now she could act like she hadn't been there at all.

"Walter?" She called, climbing back up the stairs behind him. He jumped, looking to her in shock.

"There you are. I've been calling your name for a while now," He scolded and the tone suggested that it would not be easy for her to get his forgiveness.

"I wasn't in here. I heard from a few villagers that you were here, looking for me. What are you doing in here, anyway?" She asked, her eyes scanning him. He sighed, reaching out for her and pulling her into a crushing hug.

"Do you know how worried I've been?" He asked, planting a small kiss on her cheek. She flushed, pulling away and looking to the floor.

"Look, I'm sorry I had to do that to you guys. I just didn't want you getting hurt any more then you already had, and –"

"You bloody lunatic! What the hell were you thinking!" Hammer came thundering up the stairs, throwing herself on top of the Hero as both fell to the ground. Sparrow groaned, trying desperately to throw the monk off of her.

"Hannah! For Avos' sake! Get off of me!" Sparrow begged painfully. Instead, the great monk pulled her into an awkward sitting hug. The monk was burying her head closer to her best friend, desperately trying not to cry.

"Don't you ever do that to us again, you hear? If you do, so help me, I swear I will kill you myself," The monk threatened, pulling the Hero closer still. Finally, Garth showed up and managed to get the great woman off of Sparrow. Sparrow fell backwards out of the hug, panting roughly.

"Hannah… Avos, what did you think you would accomplish by throwing me to the ground?" Sparrow laughed, rubbing her sides as she stood. She dusted off he coat and straightened her weapons as the monk shot her a 'you deserved it' look.

"What the hell made you run out of the room so fast anyway?" Hammer demanded, her eyes the familiar determined glow that Sparrow knew so well.

"Reaver wanted his bloody house back," Sparrow spat in an annoyed tone. All Hero's rolled their eyes.

"Figures that it would be something so immature," Garth grumbled. Hammer held back a small smile while Walter chuckled a little.

"I don't know how you dealt with him for so long, Garth," Sparrow stated, giving the wizard a quizzical look. The white-haired man simply shrugged.

"It contained a lot of magical threats," Garth said with a perfectly straight face. All had to laugh lightly at that comment.

"Come on, let's get back to the castle. People will start to suspect that their queen has run off on them," Walter joked, wrapping an arm around Sparrow's waist.

"Whatever you say," Sparrow replied dryly as they exited the mansion.

Now her main worry was that there were no balverines on the way home.

* * *

A few weeks had passed and the suspicion of Lillian's pregnancy was confirmed. It was Reaver's. And now she had no way to make Walter think it was his, even if she did bring up the wonderful night in the bathroom. He was too bright for things like that.

"Lillian, could we talk?" Walter asked, pulling the tired queen from her throne. She nodded, apologizing to her crowd and telling them that they should get back home. They all looked to her regrettably, but followed her orders anyway. That left Walter and Sparrow alone in the giant throne room.

"Did you think you could hide it from me?" He asked, taking one of her wrists in his hand. She winced at the slight sting of pain. Though it had been a few weeks, it still stung a slight bit.

"W-Walter, you don't understand –"

"No, I don't. Why wouldn't you tell me that you were hurt?" He asked, looking genuinely concerned. His eyes drifted back to the welts on her wrist, sincerity pooling in his eyes.

"Walter, I didn't tell you because I knew this would happen. Look, I'm fine. My Hero healing has already kicked in. They'll be gone in a few more hours," Sparrow smiled up to him, cupping his cheek gently. She was just grateful that he hadn't put the dots together on what the welts could have come from.

"Sometimes I wonder why I love you," He whispered, pulling her in for a tender kiss. She smiled against his lips but her heart panged with guilt. There was no way she could keep this from him forever. So, she pulled out of the kiss and looked deeply into his eyes.

"Walter, there's something else I have to tell you," She began, but her voice trembled. He looked to her with confusion. Deciding that her words would fail her, she took one of his hands in hers and laid it over her stomach. At first he looked at her, still confused. Then, realization hit.

"Lillian…" He trailed off, his eyes sparkling with happiness. Sparrow smiled up at him right before he scooped her up in his arms and whirled her around in a spinning hug. Sparrow buried her head against his neck, smiling widely.

"Now, you realize, you have to do me the extraordinary honor of marrying me," Walter whispered huskily in her ear as he set her down, the hug turning into a passionate embrace.

"Walter, of course," She smiled, pulling him down for a passionate kiss.

And so it was, they did it in the throne room.


	12. Logan

**_Author's Note: Okay, a few things to start off: I am so sorry for the wait! It's been forever since I updated! And also, I'm sorry for the length of this chapter. It's horribly short, but you can thank writer's block for that. :P_**

**_Enjoy!  
_**

Chapter Twelve – Logan

Sparrow walked down the hallways of her castle with one hand on her growing stomach. Seven months. She was almost due and the fear was a permanent set in her mind. There was no way she would be able to do this. And there was no way she could convince Walter that it was his and not Reaver's; the man was too bright for tricks like that. Although, he had believed that it happened in the bathroom…

She looked to each side of her, studying the wallpaper-covered walls. She stopped suddenly, catching sight of someone in an old portrait she had. It was of her and Rose, the first picture Barnum had ever taken. Sparrow and Rose had linked arms, both shooting a thumbs up to the crowd. Rose looked so happy…

She put a hand over her mouth, wiping furiously at her eyes as the tears betrayed her and came pouring down her face.

"Damn hormones," She growled, staring up at the picture with an idiotic smile on her face and tears pouring down her cheeks. What a picture she must have looked.

"Lillian? Are you alright?" Walter called from the end of the hall, the sword at his hip revealing that he had just gotten back from training some guards. Sparrow blubbered out a laugh, turning her head to shoot him a pathetic smile.

"I'm fine. The bloody baby decided that it wanted me to cry," She laughed as walked over and pulled her into a hug. He kissed her forehead absently. She leaned into his embrace, continuing to stare at the wall.

It was covered with her most precious portraits. The one of her and Rose was dead center, then surrounded by ones that had been taken along her travels. She and Hammer had posed for one at the beginning of their friendship. Hammer had scooped the Hero up into her arms, both smiling idiotically and revealing their drunken state. Next to that one was one of her and Garth. They had grown fond enough of each other to pose next to each other and actually smile. Sparrow had playfully lurched over and pulled Garth's cheeks back so he actually smiled.

Across from that were other miscellaneous ones that people had given her as presents. They were from artists that had watched her as she passed through their towns, villages, and some as she battled creatures in the forest. There was one of her with her Katana propped up on her shoulder, her dreadlocks blowing in the wind and a harsh, blue-eyed glare thrown the way of three bandits. The style of the painting suggested the terror the observer had felt, and the terror expressed in the bandits.

"You have a lot of memories, Sparrow," Walter cooed, stroking a hand over her stomach idly. She smiled, wiping the last of the tears from her face. She then smiled wider as she realized they had yet to have a portrait drawn.

"Walter, we need a portrait before I give birth. And then one after. Every year. All right?" She turned around, linking both of their hands together. She smiled up at him, blue eyes glistening. He smiled, pulling her in for a tender kiss.

"All right, you have a deal," He chuckled, laughing harder as she pulled him back down the hallway.

* * *

"She will be fine, Sir Walter," a butler chimed in his ear, causing him to snap around and glare to the prim and proper man.

"Stuff it! I have a right to be concerned," He growled, noticing how the man didn't even back down from his famous harsh glare. He smiled then. "What's your name?"

"Jasper, Sir," He spoke fluently, properly, each word hanging on the previous one just right. Walter found that he almost wanted to wipe some dirt on the man's face just to see his reaction.

"Drop the sir," Walter stated simply, cringing then as a particularly rough scream emitted from the room. "Damn it, I should be in there," Walter cursed, his hands clenching in fists around his sword. He idly glanced at Sparrow's weapons gathered in the corner of the room, wondering how she could stand to have them off of her body.

"No, you should not be. There is no place for a man in a woman's affairs," Jasper sighed, wiping a lock of hair back into place idly. Walter tensed, watching the man with skepticism.

"Why'd Sparrow hire you anyway?" Walter asked, looking away from the door with a pained expression flashing across his face as another scream emitted. He cringed and wanted to punch the butler when he smiled coyly.

"Apparently the dope named Jason was not quite cutting it for her," Jasper sneered with an almost evil glint in his eyes. Walter cringed, this time both from the evil butler and from another scream.

"Huh, I guess Sparrow always did have a way with people," Walter mumbled, his mind wandering back to the room which he could not see in. He wanted to know how she was doing. He wanted to help her somehow.

"Sir, I suggest you relax. Everything will be all right in the end, just let the woman work it as she may. There is a reason that it is they who give birth," Jasper said, and again Walter coiled to punch the man. There was no way someone could be this calm in a situation like this. Though, he wasn't ever good at being patient.

"Easier said than done, dear fellow," Walter snarled, knotting his hands in his hair as he listened to her scream again.

* * *

Sparrow huffed as she flopped back against the pillows. A wave of pain coursed through her whole body as her muscles finally refused to work anymore.

"Can I… Can I see him?" She outstretched her arms weakly, then being handed a small baby boy. She smiled, cuddling it closer to her chest.

Dark eyes stared up at her in fascination, small hands clenching around on themselves. A pale complexion was already evident even past the blood of birth. Suddenly, Walter was at her side with a giant grin on his face.

"Walter, we have a baby boy," She whispered, smiling as Walter wrapped an arm around her shoulder. His eyes twinkled with love and suddenly guilt descended on the poor Queen. What proof did she have that it was, in fact, Walter's and not Reaver's? Absolutely none.

"What should we name him?" Walter asked, his eyes brightening as the Queen weakly handed the boy to him.

"Logan," She whispered, her eyes finally shutting for the first time in ten hours.

* * *

She rolled over on her side, coming face to face with a crib. She smiled widely, pulling herself up into a sleeping position as soft baby wails filled her ears. Walter groaned beside her, getting up and scooping the baby boy bundle up. He handed it to his Queen with a small kiss to her forehead before falling back asleep next to her.

She looked down to her child with a warm glow about her. Peeling her nightshirt down, she watched intently as the boy suckled hungrily. His dark hair was matted to his head, his eyes closing in silent thanks. Small, pale hands still clasped at air, fingers looking like small, pudgy sausages. The Queen smiled, giving him one of her fingers to hold onto. He took it eagerly, pulling away from her breast and gurgling up at her.

Her heart stuttered for a second, realizing just what a mess she had gotten herself into. Her lovely son Logan was the son of a tyrant, the product of rape. She could never tell Walter that. There were enough similarities between Walter and Reaver that maybe this could be avoided. But the guilt that built up in her heart…

"Lillian, are you all right?" Walter asked groggily, rubbing down her arm soothingly. She jumped at his touch, her thoughts shocked out of her head as she continued to stare down at her son.

"We have a son, Walter," She mumbled, the fascination and interest seeping from her mind and into her voice.

"We have a son," He replied, moving in to pull her and Logan closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her middle, pulling her into his lap as he stared over her shoulder at Logan.

"We have a son," She mumbled, cuddling closer to Walter and holding Logan a bit tighter.

_**Author's Note: We all know Jasper had to come in at some point, and yes I will be doing more Sparrow/Jasper interactions (friendship wise) so don't nag me just yet. **_

_**Also, we all know just how eerily similar Logan is to Reaver... It only makes sense, right? (Although, I did think about it for a while, and it would be highly illogical if he was not a Hero... But this is a Fanfiction for a reason)  
**_

_**Anyway, there will be more Reaver goodness to come, because I just love writing that character SO much!  
**_

_**Thanks all for reading! :D  
**_


	13. Interrogation

**_What's this? I actually posted fairly soon after the last chapter? Ha, you're just as shocked as I am, dear readers. XD_**

Chapter Thirteen – Interrogation

"Master Weavah," Barry stepped forward from the shadows of the small study to reveal himself to the watching Hero. Reaver sighed as his nails clicked on his drink glass impatiently.

"What is it, Barry? And it better not be another request of yours," Reaver growled rather shortly. He was getting sick of all the requests the insufferable man was coming to him with. He had no idea why he hadn't shot the sod yet, why the lisping voice hadn't ceased to exist.

"Well, siw, the Queen just gave birth. To a son named Wogan," Barry explained with spit practically flying from his mouth on every other syllable. Reaver was really beginning to hate the fact that he had taken this sod in.

"I doubt she named her son "Wogan" Barry. Are you sure it wasn't Logan?" Reaver taunted the man with a swirl of his liquor, looking over his shoulder and past the leather seat into the eyes of a terrified servant. Said terrified servant only nodded.

"Master, you know I cannot help it," Barry said, horribly caught up on his words as he attempted to fix his lisp. Reaver only sighed, looking back to the drink and wishing he had the might to finish it. He knew he wasn't going to sleep tonight anyway, but sometimes the liquor helped him put on that illusion.

"Go away, Barry," Reaver demanded with a swish of his hand. He slammed the glass down on the table, whirling with his gun pulled to see the man just vanishing around the corner. Shame. He really was going to pull the trigger that time.

"So, have you connected the dots yet, Hero?" Teresa's voice rang out into the room. Reaver groaned, his head hanging limply in exasperation. He turned to face the woman, a smirk growing on his face.

"Well, I could say that I have, but to tell you the truth," he sauntered just the slightest bit closer to her, his gun rolling in his hand with each arm movement he made, "there are so many loose ends that it's just so hard to tell," Reaver finished with a particularly flourished spin around the blind seeress.

"Reaver, I am sure that even you can connect the dots," Another voice sounded from the doorway. He groaned, turning to face the great monk and wizard. He rolled his eyes, placing his gun hand in the air and his other on his hip.

"Does no one grasp the concept of a 'private' study? Or for that matter, the concept of knocking before entering?" Reaver groaned, looking to his fellow Hero's with a look of disdain.

"You have a son now, Reaver. It may be time that you started to clean up your attitude," Garth stated in a completely calm tone. Reaver laughed, swinging his gun in the air with an entertained aura about him.

"Dear Wizard, did you think I _cared_? Oh, you must have let the Samarkand sun's get to you, dear fellow," Reaver sauntered back to his grand leather chair, sitting in it so that his head was over one armrest and his legs dangling over the other.

"Reaver, you can't hardly expect Sparrow to not confront you about this. Walter will catch on eventually, and then… Well, if he doesn't kill you, I will," Hammer threatened, her hands tightening into white fists on her hammer at her shoulder.

"You silly _brute_," Reaver laughed, tossing his head back with the action, "The seeress told me to do what I did, so if anyone should be blamed, it should be her," He pointed lazily over his shoulder to the woman who still stood by the windows.

"Listen, Hammer, Sparrow was not going to take action on her own, so I –"

"Wasn't going to take action? Her and Walter were well enough off! They would have handled it in their own time, you blind idiot!" Hammer stormed forward a few steps before Garth placed a hand on her arm to stop her.

"I see much more then you think, Hannah," Teresa stated calmly, her joined hands never leaving their clasped position at her waist.

"Do you now? Then why don't you see just how much this is tearing your _daughter_ apart?" Hammer practically screamed. Reaver covered one of his ears with a hand, casting the monk a sour look.

"Troll, would you mind keeping the volume down. I _do_ have an immortal appearance to maintain," Reaver sighed, rolling his legs off the side of the chair and sitting in it properly now. "Wizard, if you wanted a pet, why couldn't you have trained it better?" Reaver lurched back as a fireball came flying his way. He fell over in the chair barely in time to escape getting his hair burned.

"You _shut up_. I think you've said enough for one night," Garth threatened, his will lines glowing a brilliantly threatening blue.

"Oh, is that your way of saying you know a way to shut me up?" Reaver remarked with a sleazy look on his face. He had just stood up when he had to duck from another attack. "Do try not to burn my house too much," He grumbled, walking out of the room with a tip of his hat. "Tatty-bye!"

"She was never my daughter, Hero. She was simply someone I had to –"

"I swear if you said you used her, I will personally bash your head in on all the worlds you see!" Hammer growled, feeling Garth's hand on her arm loosen. She then knew that he was having the same opinion she was; he was just too polite to show his anger.

"I did not use her. She was another Hero, another person to show just what they were capable of," Teresa stated, her cloaked head sinking a little. "Tell me, Hero, do you really think me that cold-hearted?" She whispered, and both Hero's softened.

"No, Teresa, that's not it. You just…" Hammer stuttered, her anger dying down as she tried to find the right words.

"Yes," Garth stated, looking to the woman with determination. Hammer let a small gasp escape her lips as she looked to the man with confusion.

"I see. Did you ever think that I had good reason to do what I did, Garth?" She asked, her hands falling from their eternal position and finally moving to her sides. Garth sighed, his blue will lines pulsing dully with his annoyance.

"Is that all you ever say? You only say that you had good reason to send us on a bloody death mission to the spire. You never said what the reason _was_, what you hoped to accomplish by saving the world. Why is it even _you_ who has control of these things?" Garth stepped in front of Hannah, looking to the seeress who stood beyond the desk like he was going to leap at her at any second.

"You bring about good points, Wizard. However, I do not think that it is any of your business what my reasons are –"

"And there you go again. You hide from us whenever we get closer to the truth. This time I am not allowing you to vanish, Teresa," Garth spat, his arm throwing a bolt of lightning to her. Before she could so much as gasp, it had her chained to the ground. Hammer knew he had learned the trick from all his years in the Spire. She also knew just how much he hated to use it.

"Hero, you will let me go this instant," Teresa demanded, but her voice stayed in the same calm state it was always in.

"He does have a very good point, dear lady," Reaver chimed in from the balcony over-looking his small study. He sighed, leaning forward on the railings to watch the performance. "But, from now on, I am not here. Forget I said anything. Do carry on with the lovely interrogation technique, Garth," Reaver stated with a wave of his hand and another gulp of local Bloodstone Beer.

"You have no right to do this. All I did was use my powers to the advantage of the world. What is so wrong with that?" Teresa claimed, trying to defend herself now.

"Ah, yes, your powers," Reaver chuckled past beer, "Tell me, how did you obtain immortality?" This time, Teresa let out a gasp, her head snapping up in the direction of the Skill Hero. "You thought I didn't recognize you? That I didn't piece things together? Oh, you _naïve_ little girl," Reaver scoffed, ignoring the looks of confusion he was getting from the other two Hero's.

"How do you know about –" Teresa began but this time the Hero cut her off by laughing manically.

"How do I _know_, my dear? Well, it really is simple. Once you've lived in Oakvale, then you know all the faces there are. Even the little _street rats_," Reaver spat, his eyes turning to an intense, vehement hazel. There was no kind jest behind the words he had just spoken; that was the brutal and harsh truth.

"What's going on here, Reaver?" Hammer glared, the hateful emphasis she usually put on his name gone for the moment. Garth snapped his head in the Skill Hero's way for a second before his eyes widened in shock.

"You made a deal with the Shadow Court, thereby destroying all of Oakvale," Garth said airily, as if the words themselves would burn his tongue if he put an effort behind them. Both Reaver and Teresa cringed, but Reaver nearly killed Garth with the glare he threw at the Hero.

"Yes, _yes¸ _I made a mistake. Let's all focus on that now instead of the woman you have chained to the floor of _my_ study," Reaver growled, forcing even Hammer to look back to the seeress.

"What do you all hope to gain by doing this?" Teresa demanded, her voice for once sounding as though she might lose it. Reaver smiled to himself, knowing that it was his words that had caused this. He felt more accomplished, however, knowing that his stab in the dark had proved true. She was in fact from Oakvale and had revealed that to him without intending it.

"It's really simple, dear lady," Reaver sighed, dropping the beer on the floor of the balcony. In his next movement, he swung himself over the railing and landed between the other two Heroes. "It's time we finally got some answers out of you," He laughed manically as he sauntered towards her.

"Please, you're making a mistake," Teresa warned. However, her warning fell on deaf ears.

_**So, before you question me about Teresa, let me just briefly explain: I heard on the internet somehow that Teresa is apparently from Oakvale, but that is all I heard. So, knowing that Reaver was the reason that Oakvale was destroyed, I decided to mess with it a bit and reveal some of Teresa's (Made up) past. So, yeah, I made her an Oakvale peasant and made Reaver pretend to know who she was to get the better of her.**_

_**Whatever shall she do? *gasp* let's hope I write more soon so you can find out! :P  
**_


	14. Visions

Chapter Fourteen – Visions

"Walter, will you go get Jasper for me?" Sparrow smiled to the guard as she held Logan tightly in her arms. Now garbed in her regal Queen wear, she looked to be back to normal. She was even starting to get back into the flow of responsibilities that came with being both a mother and a Queen.

"Sure thing," Walter replied, walking out the doors with his sword at his hip and a smile thrown over his shoulder. Right as he was leaving, the Queen heard a loud crash down the stairs. She followed him out the door, the baby in her arms gurgling happy.

"Oh dearest Queen," A familiar voice shouted over the loud bang of a gunshot. Without thinking, the Queen handed Logan to Walter and ran down the stairs.

"Reaver? What the hell are you doing here?" She yelled as she pulled her gun free and came face to face with the Hero in the kitchens. He laughed, tipping his hat down to his waist and bowing elegantly.

"Do forgive me, but the guards you have stationed at the front gates are really untrained. Are you taking in street rats now?" Reaver laughed to himself as he straightened, looking her directly in the eyes. She glared, shoving her gun in his face as he shoved his to her abdomen.

"Now, dear Queen, who do you think will pull the trigger first?" He smiled as he put his top hat back on his head, his arrogant aura finishing the sentence with a threat unspoken. She eyed him warily as she prepared to lower her gun.

"What do you want, Reaver?" She snarled, her blue eyes blazing with an angry fire.

"Well, my little _minx_, I had planned on seeing your son for the first time. It's evident by the lack of security that you _wanted_ someone to come and kidnap him, so I was only doing to job for you," He laughed, taking his gun away at the same time that she took hers. Walter was at her side then, and she was relieved to see that he had had enough common sense to leave Logan with a maid.

"I'd rather you not see him, Reaver. I don't want to have you corrupt him at such a young age. Or at all, for that matter," The Queen retorted, her eyes never once leaving the Thieves.

If he had any brains at all, he would see the silent message she was trying to relay to him. It was then that she really hoped Walter would follow her directions and leave them alone, Hero to Hero, and go back to Logan. She wanted to talk to the Thief, not silently tell him to never touch her again. Though, she could see by the flirtatious glint in his eyes that he knew exactly what she was saying but just didn't want to follow it.

"My _dear_, dear Queen, do you really think that I came here just to defile your child?" with the way that he said it made any reassuring quality immediately drain from the words. Suddenly, she pulled her sword on him and shoved it up against his throat, causing him to fall back against the wall.

"You will leave the castle, Reaver, and you will _not_ come back. I do not want to see your face here ever again. Not until I know that my Logan is safe," The Queen's eyes burned with a hatred she only held for Reaver. Reaver cackled, throwing his head back with the action.

"Oh, dear sweet Sparrow, did you really think that I came here for the damn child? I really could care less about the new prince, although you do have my congratulations. I actually came to you on a more… _business_ matter," His eyes glistened with playfulness, his threats towards her child diminishing on his lips.

"Damn it, Reaver," Sparrow shoved the Katana harder against his flawless skin. "What the hell could be so important that you had to _break into _the castle to tell me about it?" Sparrow growled the question, her eyes meeting his with a ferocity only she was able to contain.

"Well, I found it unlikely that you would allow me in on any other occasion," Reaver backed up his words by looking pointedly at her Katana. She sighed heavily, dragging the weapon down to his chest instead.

"What. Do. You. Want. Reaver?" She chopped out the sentences through clenched teeth, her eyes never once leaving his. He rolled his again, one hand flamboyantly swiping across his forehead.

"It seems that there is a damsel in my mansion that just _demands_ on seeing you. It really would help your dearest _mother_ if you stopped by sometime soon," Reaver cast a wink to her, pushing her forcefully away as he walked down the hall like nothing had even happened. Walter caught the Queen, both glaring daggers at his back. "Tatty-bye, my little _minx_," He called with a tip of his hat over his shoulder.

"Are you all right, Lillian?" Walter asked as they both stood. She just huffed, still glaring at the retreating back of Reaver.

"That bastard! Killing my soldiers, threatening my son! And then he has the nerve to say that he has Teresa!" The Hero Queen sulked away, completely ignoring the rest of the world as she mumbled curses to the Pirate King under her breath.

* * *

Teresa looked to the railings of the Pirate's house, silently hoping that Sparrow would come to her rescue. She knew that the Pirate had gone to get the Queen, that he planned on making her escape as unlikely as possible just to take a swing at the newly mothered Hero. She also had seen that it would not work, that Sparrow had not fallen for it, and that Hammer would eventually have to convince her. She knew these things would come to pass, so now all she had to do was wait.

"I am truly sorry he did this, Teresa," Garth managed past his bloodied lip. His arms were angled upwards, tied to the wooden banister by rope and chain. His ribs were killing him and his head was still spinning, both from the pain and trying to keep the spell going. He knew that Reaver would not hesitate to kill him if he let it go.

"I hear talking. Why is there talking?" Reaver called from the overlooking balcony, glaring down to all three Hero's. Hammer groaned by Garth's knees, rolling over onto her side into consciousness.

"Hannah, oh Avos, are you all right?" Garth asked anxiously, immediately regretting the exertion the action of talking caused.

"Bloody hell, Garth, don't worry about me. It takes more than a good aimed punch to take me down," Hammer smiled up to Garth, truly concerned for the injuries he had sustained while defending both her and Teresa.

"Stop all this insistent chatter. There was a reason I had gags around her somewhere…" Reaver's distant footsteps revealed that he had gone to get such gags. Garth took that chance to take a breather. The spell slipped from around Teresa, the panting wizard falling as limp as he could and still hang from the wall.

Teresa was immediately at his side, putting a hand on each Hero. In a blink of an eye, they were back in the spire.

"Teresa… what have you done?" Garth panted as Hammer pulled him closer to her in concern. The blind woman stared away from the couple, her eyes fixating on the cullis gate.

_Brother, what have you created? What have you done?_

"Nothing I haven't already, Hero," She replied, moving to the table in search of some medical ingredients.

* * *

"Teresa, get over here," A husky voice beckoned the girl closer. She smiled, moving in her pale brown rags towards her brother. He scooped her up into his bare arms, hugging her close to him.

"I've just finished some research. Do you want to test it out for me?" He asked, his kind features filling her vision. She nodded, her long black hair shaking in front of her head. Jade eyes fixated on a glowing circle, watching as her brother carried her closer. Her pale hands clenched at his darker, tanned skin as anticipation grew.

"What have you made, brother? What did you invent this time?" She asked eagerly, jade eyes scanning the glowing contraption before her. He simply chuckled, setting her down inside the glowing, his bright eyes meting her own.

"A way out of here, my little princess," He reached forward and ruffled her hair, at the same time swinging a cloak over her shoulders with his other hand. Suddenly, his face seemed sorrowful.

"Brother, what's wrong? Are you going to come with me?" Teresa tried to step forward, but her brother put both his hands on her shoulders and held her in place.

"No, Teresa. This is the last time that you will see me. Just remember that I love you. Always have, always will," He stood then, his sad Jade eyes scanning her one last time. He turned his back to his bright sister, watching as the shadows came to engulf the town.

Darkness consumed the village, pillaging every house that had a window, crack, or door on it. There was no escape, there was no hope. Oakvale was lost; but his sister could get away. He turned his back to the crying, pleading girl, muttering an enchantment under his breath. On the last syllable, he turned back to her, his voice cracking as he watched her vanish into the magical unknown.

What he didn't know was that the last thing she _really_ saw was him get ripped in half.

* * *

Teresa woke up days later, surrounded by black and only black. Her heart started beating a thousand miles per minute as she remembered her brother's face, her brother's last minutes… Her brother's death. Suddenly, she was flailing, trying to free herself blindly from the (what felt like) fabric covering her.

"Calm down, calm down! Whoa," A gentle voice filled her ears, limbs connecting with her arms to hold her down. She looked frantically for the sight of such limbs, but only blackness greeted her eyes.

"Where am I? What happened? Where's my brother?" Her voice was rasping, tears pouring down her cheeks. The limbs moved to cup her cheek, leaving her to sit in what she now presumed was a bed. "And why can't I see?"

_Why can't you see? Why can't you see? Oh, silly girl, the darkness got you! The darkness consumed you! Your brother is no more, no more! Now we laugh at him, sit upon our thrones and laugh! We laugh! You cannot see, you cannot stop us! We shall defile your name, your very existence!_

"Why can't I see!"

**_Author's Note: Yeah, I threw that twist in there. XD. Anyway, I made up pretty much all of that Teresa history stuff. I had heard, somewhere, that she lost a brother in Oakvale. So, I portrayed him as the mage who created the first Cullis Gate. And then, sending her across, caused her to lose her vision, thus she began her search for a new way to gain her vision. I have a feeling (Since I probably won't elaborate any more on this) she found a sorceress who took her in and showed her the ways of the future, and such._**

_**and after all that rambling, I sure hope you enjoyed! Reviews are always nice, as well. XD  
**_


	15. The One In Chains

**_Arolden da Roma kindly pointed out on the last chapter that Teresa is in fact the sister of the Hero of Oakvale. So, my little flashback last chapter is just a made up bit of fun! Pay no mind to the insane ramblings of a teenage writer! XD_**

Chapter Fifteen – The One In Chains

"Ah, here they are," Reaver smiled to himself as he picked the worn and torn rags from his nightstand. He twirled on his heel, boots clicking back down the hall as he marched back to his study with his head held high. There was no way that they…

"Barry! Where the hell did they go?" Reaver stormed around the corner, his eyes burning an intense hazel as he came face to face with his servant. The next thing either of them knew, his gun was shoved in Barry's face and the servant was pressed against the wall.

"S-sir, I don't know. They… they just vanished, Mastew Weavah," He stuttered out, eyes shutting in complete fear as the gun pressed harder against his neck. Reaver threw the rags to the ground, turning his back to the servant briskly.

"Get the carriages ready, Barry. We're paying another little visit to the Queen," Reaver snarled the words, his anger seething out of his every inch. Barry nodded, running off to the stables and shouting nervous orders to the other servants.

_How the hell did they escape? What is their plan? Where are they!_

* * *

"Your Majesty, I thought we both agreed to have a civil meeting," Reaver stormed into the castle, shooting five guards over his shoulder without so much as a glance. Sparrow came around the corner, gun drawn to face his fury.

"A civil meeting about what, Reaver? And as I recall, I specifically told you not to set foot inside the castle," Sparrow shouted, raising her gun to meet Reaver's. He simply kept walking, stopping inches from her and nearly pressing their faces together.

"Give back what you stole," He growled, his gun pressing against her abdomen.

"Why would I steal anything from you?" Sparrow replied, her blue eyes never wavering as she shoved her gun under his chin. "We can do this the easy way, or we can both go down together," Sparrow hissed.

Reaver studied her, watching as her eyes scanned him in return. Her eyes were calculating, a bright blue that knew his next move exactly. Her form was pressed against his, their guns the only threatening thing about the position. In the corner of his eye, he idly noted about twenty guards all with their guns pointed towards him.

"Call off your guards," He spat, nearing their faces even more. She sighed, waving her free hand at them. They all cast her a wary glance, Walter stepping forward from the crowd.

"Go. Now," She hissed, her eyes flitting to Walter's for a split second. Soon, he was barking orders at the rest to follow their Queen, since she held the power over them. Eventually, that left Reaver and Sparrow pressed together on the stairs with their guns pointed to each other.

"I thought I told you to come get them yourself, if you really wanted them back," Reaver whispered, his hazel eyes still burning with his fury.

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Reaver. I haven't set foot outside of this castle ever since you _threatened_ my child," Sparrow hissed back, her blue eyes flashing with pain for the briefest of seconds.

"Yes, your little bundle of joy. What the hell did you do with them? I know you have them," Reaver looked down the slightest bit more, her gun pressing further into his jaw. She sighed, pulling away then.

"What are you going on about? Did you have too much to drink on the way here?" She shouted at him, her anger now getting the best of her. He laughed, waving his gun as he did so.

"My _minx_, I do not drink unless it is well past midnight," He sighed then, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked her over once more. It really was a shame that the night they shared had been all the Seeress' doing, otherwise he might have enjoyed it.

"So what do you think I've taken, Reaver? And why did you have to kill more men?" She sighed, looking to the bodies in the hallway with a sense of remorse in her eyes. He laughed, turning around to point his gun directly at a pillar. He knew Walter was there, listening and watching. He also knew that now, the poor sod was scared out of his wits.

"I could shoot one more, my dear. Save you the trouble of having to hide your _delicious_ little secret from him," He laughed as she shoved him down a few stairs, knocking his aim from the pillar.

"You leave that out of this. If you really cared, you would have been there," Sparrow spat, her gun at his throat again. He simply laughed, looking to her playfully.

"Oh, you actually thought that the night _meant_ something, silly girl?" He laughed again as he heard both her wounded gasp and another shocked one beyond the pillar. "You have to learn, girl, that this is nothing more than a game to me. _Life_ is nothing more than a game to me; I do have an unlimited amount of it, after all," He smiled, snatching her cheeks in his hand forcefully and bringing their faces inches apart again.

"Reaver, what did you think I stole?" She hissed, readying her hand to smack him away. Instead, he brought them closer and forced a kiss upon her. Before she could gasp, he was down the hall with a tip of his hat.

"I think that you will find out soon, Sparrow," He laughed, resting his hand on the regal doorknob when a sudden shock ran through him. He fell to his knees, barely able to turn his head to glare to her.

She came forth, glowing a bright blue as shock spread from her fingertips. Her glare was that of betrayal and anger; a look only someone who has truly been heartbroken can obtain.

"_You_ got me pregnant, you _raped_ me, and then all you have to say is that it was a game? I have your _son_, Reaver! If nothing else, that should mean that you have to love him! I know Walter will always be there for me… but if he ever found out, I would rather enjoy watching him kill you," She paused then, adding a bit more force to the spell. Reaver stifled a groan, his hands clenching into fists as the pain seared through him.

"So, Queen, you would rather like watching me fall? Why don't you just do it now? Save the inexperienced guard the trouble. You know pets always ruin the job," Reaver managed past clenched teeth. Sparrow only thrust a bit more magic into the spell, her glare hardening as Reaver cried out shortly.

"Because that would be too easy. Ending you would be too easy. The Shadow Court is playing their own game with you, and I want to be there to watch the day that you fall," She closed the distance between them, resting a hand on his shoulder as even more electricity flowed through his body, "And Reaver, that day _will_ come, whether it be by the Shadow's hands, or my own. You will fall, and you will fall _hard_," She smiled into his ear, pressing a bit more electricity into his body as he collapsed into the darkness.

_"And when you do, I will laugh."_

* * *

"Get him to the dungeons, please," Sparrow ordered about the remaining guards with a soft smile, watching as they took Reaver down to the depths of the castle. Walter came down the hall, watching her warily.

"Sparrow… What happened?" He asked, hesitantly. He knew the answer – he knew all of it – but he was still concerned for her. She caught on, noticing that he called her Sparrow instead of Lillian. He only did that when things were tense.

"I knew you were there, Walter. I knew you were watching," Her eyes landed on him with sympathy, her heart almost snapping from the pressure of the guilt. Now, she had no choice but to tell him and hope that he wouldn't be mad with her.

"Sparrow… Did he hurt you?" Walter moved closer, wrapping an arm around her waist carefully. She eyed him for a second, sincere confusion written on her features. Then, she laughed. She smiled, leaning her head against his chest as her laughter filled the air.

"No, not anymore than normal," She smiled, looking up into his eyes. "You are the most extraordinary man I have ever met. You… I meant the part about you killing him. You can have a shot, if you promise not to die yourself," She laughed again as he smiled.

"I'm sorry you thought I would be mad. Logan will be our child, no matter what," Walter reassured her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulled her closer.

"It… Thank you, Walter. Although, now I should probably attend to the, no doubt, furious prisoner I have in the dungeon," She gave a heavy sigh, pulling away to stare him in the eyes. "Will you come with me?"

"I was going to, no matter what you said," He chuckled, taking her hand in his as she led them both down to the dark dungeons.

* * *

"Well, if it isn't the wonderful mage," Reaver spat over his shoulder, barely missing the Queen's foot. A guard next to him kicked his foot in between Reaver's shoulder blades, causing the thief to bend at an awkward angle.

"Tell me, how does it feel to be the one in chains, Reaver?" Sparrow crouched down to his height, looking him in the eyes with a sense of triumph in her own blue orbs. Reaver simply snarled, his upper lip curling as he looked to her in disgust.

"Are you offering another good night to me, my dear? I must say, I usually don't invite people's pets, but if he _must_ stay –" Sparrow lashed out with her hand, cutting the rest of his flirtatious sentence off where it rest on his tongue.

"Reaver, think about your position. I could easily have you sent off to be executed if you don't behave," The Queen threatened with a small shred of joy in her eyes a she stared at the man.

He looked absolutely pitiful for once. He was chained by his wrists to the wall, the chains pulling his arms behind him at a painful angle. The guard still had his foot pushing between his shoulder blades, causing the angle to be just a hair more painful. But the thing that really got her was that he didn't look diabolical. He didn't look like the Hero of Skill who could blink and be on the other side of the cage. He looked like some beaten down man that was too weak to lift his own head.

"But I think we both know, Sparrow, that you would never kill me like that. You value my assistance as a Hero too much to do that," Reaver stated, his voice dry and lacking the arrogant tone that it normally took.

"You can't say the same for me," Walter hissed, stepping closer with his sword pointed towards Reaver's face. Sparrow rested a hand on the blade, her eyes turning gentle as she looked over her shoulder to the man.

"Let's stop this fighting, hmm?" A voice called from the corner of the cell. Sparrow's head snapped in that direction as Reaver pushed the guard away to twist his body and face the Seeress. She moved closer to them both, looking to Sparrow more then Reaver.

"Sparrow, if you would please let Reaver go," She gestured elegantly to the thief, her gaze never once straying from the Hero's. Sparrow gave her a questionable look.

"You can't be serious! He came in here and killed at least ten of my men and threatened my child! Not to mention the fact that he raped me! If anything, I should be able to keep him in here for punishment!" Sparrow cried out to the woman, her glare fixated angrily on her blind eyes. Teresa reached out to the Hero, placing a hand on either shoulder.

"Sparrow, he has already paid in full. There is nothing more you can do to this man," Teresa stroked the Hero's arms reassuringly, meeting her angry glare with reassurance and gentle compassion. Sparrow looked back down to Reaver, her anger reappearing.

"How has he paid? How can I know that he will suffer for what he has done?" She asked, although anyone could tell that it was more of a rhetorical question.

"Oh, just get on with it. I've already lost all there is to lose anyway," Reaver stated blandly, his eyes drifting back to the dirty floor of the cell.

_How does it feel to be the one in chains now, Reaver?_


	16. Shadows of The Past

Chapter Sixteen – Shadows of The Past

There was a girl with lavender eyes, soft curls caressing her face as the wind shifted them. The bright blue sky darkened in comparison to her beauty; such that he was sure she radiated more than the sun. Her soft features, light-toned skin and barely-there face-paint created a china doll goddess. She was his. She was his and only his. His one true love.

He had killed her. The Shadows had come and taken her without his permission. She was gone because of him, writhing somewhere in the darkness because of his naïve decisions. She was in hell because he wanted to share a life with her for eternity.

The Shadows had manipulated his words.

* * *

"This isn't like him," Sparrow mumbled under her breath. She knew the other two could hear her, so she didn't repeat her words. Teresa nodded solemnly while Walter only looked away from the Seeress.

"Why would he want to surrender now? I mean… he has everything to lose, so why would he just give up that easily?" Sparrow was rambling, sure that her words would bring some sense to the matter if only she would just keep talking. She wanted to make sure that her thoughts weren't just random, that she did in fact have a point to all of this chaos.

"Miss, he wants to die. He is going through what we normal humans would call a 'mid-life crisis'," Jasper chimed from the doorway of the throne room, a tray of drinks propped elegantly on his shoulder. Sparrow eyed him curiously for a second before walking over to him and taking a drink.

"How do you know he wants to die? He's too arrogant to just give up 250 years of living," Sparrow stated, taking a sip of the drink she found out to contain some alcohol. Jasper moved from his position in front of her and served both Teresa and Walter a drink before speaking.

"He said he had already lost it all. That means that he is having regrets and is ready to give up, die, give in – whatever the terminology is that you prefer," Jasper stated, watching as the Queen leaned back against a wall with a contemplative look on her face.

* * *

"You killed her! You murdered her!" He shouted, storming forward into the hall of Judgment. Four Shadow Judges stood to face him, their hooded figures showing no emotion. The boy stops at the edge of the stone, looking to them with hell in his eyes.

"You were the one

Who led us to her

Were you not

Dear boy?" Four voices completed the sentence together, each at a different pitch of evil. The boy cringed, looking away and to the dark abyss under his feet.

"That's not what I meant! I didn't mean that you could kill all of them!" He shouted, his hazel eyes darting back up at the figures. One simply chuckled while the others mimicked it exactly.

"Dear boy,

There was never

Any chance that you

Would beat us at our own game," They chopped the sentence out again, some shoulders still shaking from the light action of their maniacal laughter.

"This was a _game_ to you?" The boy hissed, his eyes squinting in disbelief and betrayal. His hands clenched to fists at his side, tempted to reach for his pistol and see where shooting them would get him.

"_Boy,_

_Life is_

_A game_

_To us,"_

* * *

How many times had he had that dream? How many times had he relived his mistake? Did it really matter now? Did he really want to look back and start counting as he was chained to a wall?

Reaver shifted his position to try and regain some feeling in his arms. The blood had long ago ceased to flow properly to them, causing them to go numb. And he had long ago stopped in his attempts to break free of here. The Queen had at least gotten herself a good dungeon, if not guards.

He let his head fall limply on his shoulders as he leaned back and stared at the ceiling. Oh what a bland pattern it was. Nothing like his grand mansion back in Bloodstone. _Nothing like Oakvale._

"Shut up!" He shouted, his words coming out in an animalistic snarl. He yanked on the chains forcefully, his arms screaming in protest before he realized what he had done. He groaned again, slamming himself against the wall limply. His eyes snapped back to the ceiling.

It was plain, just what it appeared to be to the naked eye. There was nothing special about it, and in fact, it looked to be a bit dirty. Reaver smiled to think that one of the stains might have been some poor unlucky man's blood.

_You've got blood to spill, Reaver._

Reaver cringed, snapping his head back against the cement wall. He winced at the pain, but thought idly that it wasn't anything he hadn't experienced before.

"Inflicting pain on yourself won't help, Reaver," Sparrow emerged from the stairs, beckoning the guard to come and let her in. Reaver groaned, rolling his head against the wall so he was looking away from her.

"What do you want, Sparrow?" He hissed, not looking her way even when she came to stand right next to him.

"What is it that's bothering you?" She asked, crouching so that she was blocking his gaze. He didn't turn away, his eyes studying her once again.

She had soft features, her eyes an intense blue. Sparrow would have gotten along great with… _**her**_. Reaver also noted how their posture was the same, how Sparrow carried herself almost exactly as _**she**_ did. There were minor differences from the weapons strapped to Sparrow's body, but when Reaver had seen those removed… their elegance was one and the same. Even the way she looked at him, calculating but with a shred of compassion, was exactly how _**she**_ would have if she had been mad at him.

"I thought you didn't care about a tyrant like myself," Reaver growled, his nose crinkling as he looked away again. Sparrow snatched his jaw and snapped his head back to look at her.

"Jasper seems to think that you want to die. He thinks that you're done in this world and are ready to give in," Sparrow's eyes shifted from hard and calculating to a form of concern reserved for acquaintances.

"This Jasper fellow seems to be quite inquisitive," Reaver replied, knowing it was not the answer she was searching for. She sighed, letting her hand fall from his face.

"You're a Hero, Reaver. Maybe it was time that you started to enjoy life a little more. I know the façade you put on is all because of something tragic. You need to move on, let it go, and just… enjoy the time period you live in now," Sparrow stood, craning over him to unlock the chains. His hands fell to his side limply as he stared up at her. His eyes burned with confusion, but beyond that she could see that her words hat hit something inside.

"You really are a tease," He mumbled as she turned her back to him and was walking out of the cell. She threw a glare over her shoulder to him, shaking a finger at him in silent warning. Reaver gasped aloud, looking away from her before she could ask what was the matter again.

"_No, no silly! Those are for the guests! Just wait your turn!" She shook her delicate finger at him, smiling as she went back to preparing the meal. He sighed, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder._

"_But Dear, they won't be here for another hour," He whispered playfully, enjoying the flirty glare he got in return._

"_Food needs to be prepared by then, hun," she scolded again, smacking his hand to no avail when he reached for a cookie. He bounded away, shooting a cookie-filled grin back at her._

"_I am only one. There will be plenty more," He managed past a mouthful of crumbs. She sighed, looking away and back to her work. "You really are a tease," He chuckled again, walking forward to plant a kiss on her forehead. She swatted him away, simply shaking her finger at him again._

"Is something wrong, Mastew Weavah?" Barry's annoying lisp filled his ears as he stepped robotically into the carriage. He waved his servant off, looking over his shoulder back to the Castle. On the highest balcony, one could make out the Queen holding her son in her arms. Walter walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist before planting a kiss to her neck.

"Love-sick fools are the problem, Barry," He snarled, shooing the servant off to get the carriage going.

_Love will only get you so far,_ he thought as he looked back to the Castle one more time. _Seems I won't be back for a while, dear Queen_.

_**Author's Note: So sorry for the length of this chapter; it's horribly short compared to the last. Anyway, that was only because the ending was too perfect to add more.**_

_**Hope you enjoyed!  
**_


	17. Wedding Day

**_Author's note: So, yeah, life happened and I give you a horrible chapter! I am so sorry! First it was that i was just going to be out of town for a few days, but then during those few days we had a HORRIBLE storm that decided to knock out our power. So, just getting that back, I decided to write and update and let you know that I am not dead yet. XD_**

**_So sorry for the wait and the horrible quality of this chapter. I hope to give you better next chapter.  
_**

Chapter Seventeen – Wedding Day

A year had passed since the eventful birth of Prince Logan. Walter and Sparrow had yet to get married, although the whole kingdom knew that it was coming soon. They knew that the happy couple could only hold off for so long before they finally realized that it was time to tie the knot. Some civilians would tease them about it, getting a good-natured argument out of them both.

The Queen had started taking up Quests again, claiming that her work was never done until Albion was crime free. She started in Wraithmarsh, sending Reaver there to try and establish some sort of community. There were the occasional updates that the Hollow Men never seemed to end. However, there were even more that said Reaver was taking care of the infestation and there would be a suitable environment in no time.

She had also taken to traveling and expanding her horizons onto other parts of Albion to which she had never ventured. She had traveled to Mist Peak Valley and found out that there was a small town up there that was in desperate need of her help. She indulged the people there with enough resources to get back on their feet, thus creating another part of Albion known as Brightwall. There, she started looking into the options of a greater education for the poorly educated citizens of her Albion.

All in all, Albion had settled into a peaceful routine. There were less Hollow Men, thanks to Reaver's talents placed in Wraithmarsh and the Swift Brigade in Mourningwood. Westcliff and Bloodstone still remained a mystery to her as to how she was going to get through all the bandits. She was determined to get all crime down to nothing in Albion, and all could tell that she would stop at nothing.

Albion had at last found a ruler who cared enough about her people to travel their land and live their life for a day.

The Queen paced back and forth in the room, wringing her hands together nervously. She stared at the ground, her thoughts running a mile a minute and not letting her body catch up. Suddenly, a pair of large hands was on her shoulders, stopping her and turning her to face their owner.

"Calm down, Sparrow. Everything will be fine. This is supposed to be the best day of your life, right?" Hammer smiled, trying desperately to calm the Hero down. Sparrow nodded jerkily, her blue eyes meeting Hammer's frantically.

"What if he backs out? What if _I_ back out? I mean, it's been a year since Logan was born, there has to be –" Hammer slapped a hand over the rambling Hero's mouth to stop that ignorant train of thought.

"There is no way that that will happen. He loves you, and you love him. That is the whole point of the day, Sparrow," Hammer said, pushing the Hero away to take a look at her.

She was all garbed in white, her dress form fitting in all the right ways. It was a v-neck that cut down to her belly-button in a sliver, covered in the middle by intricate lace. At her waist, the dress flared out the slightest bit, causing her hips to get just the right amount of attention. The sleeves extended well beyond her arms in an array of white, laced fabric. They were long and elegant, her arms appearing even thinner then they ever had before. The skirt of the dress was split in an upside down V shape, letting that fabric to form the first layer. Under that was more lace, exposing just enough tantalizing sight of skin to reveal her perfect form once again. The train went out about six feet, an intricate extension of the first layer of skirt.

Then there was her hair. In red, perfect ringlets, it fell in a glistening halo around her shoulders. It framed her face just right, her sparkling face-paint making it look as though she was glowing. Her veil fell down to her nose, covering her face in a mask of perfect white. Behind her, it reached to about the middle of her back, a sprinkle of extra flare in just the right spot.

"Sparrow, you look absolutely gorgeous," Hammer smiled to her friend, pulling her into a gentle hug. Sparrow let out a nervous laugh as the sound of the altar bell rang out into the air. She pulled away from her friend sharply, twisting around to grab her bouquet of flowers. Hammer laughed, helping her to the line that would lead her out to Walter.

One by one, her procession began to walk down the aisle. As they dwindled, her bright blue eyes started to scan the gathering of her people around her. There had to be a few hundred, if not a thousand. She tightened her hands around the flowers, looking to Jasper beside her with worry. He had taken the place of her father, since she had no real family. He gave her a reassuring smile, right before they stepped out into the aisle.

The room they had selected was part of the Old Castle. It had arches covering every inch of the ceiling, some even overlapping. Nothing but glass surrounded them, the sun shining brightly in as if the room was the clearest thing there was. The room sparkled in a white haze, causing all the attention to go to her as she slowly walked down the aisle with Jasper at her side.

When Walter spotted her, she had to stifle her laughter as his jaw hung open for a second. Her heart started hammering in her chest and she knew then that she was blushing.

It was unclear to her if her heart or her feet stopped first. Suddenly, she was at Walter's side, repeating word after word that the priest bid her to speak. Her smile never left her face and she was sure that if Walter's hand hadn't been on her waist, she would have fallen over.

"You may kiss the bride," the priest uttered, and suddenly the world was catching up with her. Walter turned just the slightest, pulling her closer to him as they both smiled to each other. She locked her arms around his neck and he planted a tender kiss on her lips. The crowd erupted into cheers, all standing and clapping as the happy couple remained oblivious.

"I love you, Lillian Beck," Walter whispered huskily into her ear as they pulled away. She blushed, smiling up at him.

"And I you, Walter Beck," She laughed as Walter turned them, still linked by the hand, to face the crowd.

Their smiles never left their faces.

* * *

Moonlight shone straight through the window, pinpointing perfectly in the Queen's eye. She moaned, rolling over and burying her head into her pillow. Beside her, a familiar form stirred and wrapped one arm around her waist as he mimicked her actions.

"Good evening," He hummed, planting a kiss to her temple. She chuckled lowly, burying further into the pillow.

"I'm not getting up," She mumbled, groaning when he pulled her into a sitting position, kissing down her neck.

"You _are_ the Queen, you know," He mumbled, tracing mindless patterns across her back. She sighed, leaning into his touch and forgetting for a moment the truth of his words.

"I'm also a human being who thinks that she should get more then two hours of sleep," She moaned, scrunching her eyes shut when she heard the familiar cries of Logan. She pulled herself away from Walter, walking around the corner to pull her one-year old to her chest. He cooed and pulled her into a hug. He snuggled against her neck, relishing her warmth.

"What's the matter, baby?" She cooed, stroking her fingers through his hair. Walter walked up behind them both, resting a hand on her shoulder as his other moved to caress Logan's back reassuringly.

"Mama," he cried, hugging her tighter. Sparrow sighed, picking him up and holding him on her hip as she silently motioned for Walter to go get something for him to drink. She stroked his hair and back, rocking him back and forth.

"Baby, I'm right here," She kissed his cheek, walking back to her room as Walter appeared with some milk. He took Logan from her, smiling to him as the boy wiped away his tears.

"Logan, can you be a brave boy?" Walter teased, ruffling the boy's hair slightly. Logan let out a gurgling laugh, pulling on Walter's beard roughly. "Good, now let's go face those nightmares together then, hmm?" Walter laughed as the boy tugged harder, causing Walter to pry his little fingers off of the facial hair. He took the bottle from Sparrow and gave it to the boy, watching as he practically guzzled it down in one breath. They vanished around the corner where laughter could be heard before Walter settled for tucking the boy in again.

"Walter, what are we going to do? He keeps having these nightmares…" Sparrow trailed off as he wrapped her in an embrace, simply settling for comforting her at the moment.

"We'll figure it out. Who knows, maybe it's just a phase," Walter reassured, pulling her gently back to bed with him.

The Queen hoped that it was just a phase and not something more serious…


	18. Mood Swings

_**Author's Note: Okay, so I really have nothing good to offer you. I am so terribly sorry I have been away for so long, but life caught up, and this is just the price I had to pay. Anyway, this is just sorta a filler chapter. I really have no plot what-so-ever planned, so if you want to see something happen, feel free to PM me and maybe it could work.**_

_**Hope you enjoy at least somewhat. XD  
**_

Chapter Eighteen – Mood-Swings

Sparrow paced anxiously back and forth inside the throne room. Her hands were nervously wringing, brow furrowed in constant concern. Her steps were brisk, her turns sharp. She was already muttering under her breath, convinced that if there was no one else to talk to, she might as well talk to herself.

She'd heard the rumors and knew that they were most definitely true. Reaver was coming back to see her, and she knew that he would not do it without flair. It had been a year since they last saw each other, him thankfully having not shown up at her wedding. She knew their reunion was inevitable, but she also liked to think that she could prevent it at all possible.

"Ah, my lovely Queen!" A voice shouted, giant throne room doors banging open. Reaver sauntered forward, his change in apparel the first thing she noticed. He was now sporting a top hat and white gentleman's coat, his appearance radically different from the flashy armor-like clothing he had worn before.

"What is it, Reaver? And please tell me you did not kill many guards this time," The Queen sighed, turning to face him almost angrily. He smiled, walking forward and swinging his arm around her waist. He pulled her close, their faces only inches apart as he looked down into her eyes.

"The little twat isn't mine," Reaver stated, his tone suggesting he was flirting, but his eyes telling her that he was secretly thrilled inside. She lurched away, slapping his arm as she did so.

"I do hope you're referring to someone else than Logan. Not many people call my son a twat and get away with it," Sparrow threatened, her hand moving towards her gun but knowing that it would do no good. Reaver chuckled, throwing his head back with the action.

"Right, I am so _sincerely_ sorry, Your Majesty," He chuckled lowly as he bowed elegantly, mocking her if she could read him correctly.

"What makes you so sure?" She asked, trying to contain the happiness at knowing she had not had a rape child. She would love Logan no matter what, but somehow knowing that he would not turn out to be exactly like Reaver soothed her.

"I have my ways," He smiled, placing his hand back on top of his head. She sighed, falling back into the throne as she watched him warily.

"Right, and I'm supposed to believe you?" She closed her eyes, rubbing her hands against her temples in attempts to soothe her headache. Reaver let out a low rumble of a short laugh, coming to sit on a step near to the throne. She found it odd that he would dare to sit on the floor, but made no comment of the fact.

"I would think that our years of dealing with each other would have taught you _something_, dear Sparrow," His voice always irritated her, but somehow it was even worse now. She sighed, reaching out to slap his hat off of his head.

"Get out of here, Reaver," She growled, her blue eyes meeting his in a threatening glare. He smiled, cast her a wink, and practically danced out of the door. As he was leaving, Walter was rushing in. Reaver placed a hand on the soldier's shoulder, his other on his torso. Spinning in the waltz for one round, Reaver propelled Walter towards the throne as he sauntered out of the room.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Walter asked as he came to his wife's side.

"That was a Reaver, Walter," Sparrow replied, the intended joking tone in the sentence lost beyond the pain of her headache.

* * *

"You can't deny that this is getting worse," Her general declared, looking her in the eyes harshly. She heaved a sigh, shifting in her throne.

"You're right, but I sure as hell can avoid it," Sparrow retorted, throwing the war-papers uselessly on the ground. The general eyed her warily before giving a defeated huff.

"Your Majesty, if Sir Reaver is offering you forces, at this point you should accept them," He sighed, knowing very well that this was a harsh card to play. He cringed as Sparrow stood and took a few steps closer.

"You think I should accept an offer from a man who has no morals?" Sparrow spat, looking to the man with venom. He cringed but did not lose eye contact.

"You think, General," She started to circle him, hands clenched behind her back, "that I should trust an immortal, greedy, immoral sleazebag?" She questioned, emphasizing ever insult she threw.

"Oh, well now, is that any way to talk about me?" Reaver's voice rang out as both heads snapped his direction. He tipped his hat with a smirk on his face. Sparrow marched down the middle aisle of the throne room and met him halfway.

"Reaver, get out. Now," She barked the order, jabbing his chest harshly. His smirk grew as he placed his hat back on his head.

"But, your majesty, I barely just arrived," He sneered, feigning weakness and betrayal. She smacked his chest, pushing him back a few feet.

"Get the hell out, Reaver," she growled, watching as shock registered on his face.

"Well, someone sure is in a mood. What happened to the times we got along, so famously?" He asked, pulling her close and looking down to her seductively.

"Whatever times you're talking about must have happened in another universe," She pulled away and whirled to face her general. "General, escort him out. Now," She stressed, watching as he leapt to carry out her order.

"Maybe you should see a doctor, _little minx_. We wouldn't want this mood-swing to become _permanent_, now would we?" Reaver called over his shoulder with a wink.

For the first time in a long while, the queen resorted to mental math and indecisive thoughts.


	19. Young Kingdoms

_**Author's Note: First off, I am so terribly sorry that it has taken me so long to update this! I then owe a special thanks to TheRedDragonEnforcer4 for being kind enough to express their love for this story and allow me to bounce ideas off of them. Thanks a ton!**_

_**And so here, I present you with the newest Chapter.  
**_

Chapter Nineteen – Young Kingdoms

"Walter, Walter!" Sparrow called for her husband as she came rushing into their room. Logan greeted her with a squeal, tossing himself into her arms. She laughed along with him, twirling him around in a circle. He giggled and clung tighter to her neck, only loosening his grip when she stopped to look at Walter.

"What? What's wrong?" Walter came around a corner with a play, wooden sword in his hand and one of Logan's many pirate hats slanted on his head. Sparrow laughed, setting Logan down and walking over to him. She gently took the toy sword from his hand, moving the pirate hat to a proper angle.

"Nothing's _wrong_, Walter," She smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. His eyes questioned her while he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Really?" He asked, his voice still uncertain. She laughed, patting his shoulder gently as she pulled away to pick up Logan. He had begun to pull on her coat tail, wanting to be held again. She picked him up and then managed to start tickling him.

"Yes, really," She replied while laughing. Logan twisted around her back to now be receiving a piggy-back ride. She turned to face Walter again, her light blue eyes dancing.

"I'm pregnant, Walter," She barely managed to get the words out before she was swept into a twirling hug by Walter. Logan let out a childish squeal on her back, only to have both of them hug him between them then.

"That's wonderful, Lillian!" Walter exclaimed, happiness beaming in his eyes. Sparrow laughed, setting Logan down and telling him to go play with some of his toys. He scurried off, grabbing the play sword from Walter and claiming he was going to go slay the trolls under his bed.

"Should we tell Logan?" She asked, looking back over her shoulder to Walter with a small smile on her face. Walter sighed, pulling her against him as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"I think we should eventually. There's no rush," He leaned in and placed a small kiss on her neck, letting her relax into his arms.

"Onto more depressing news… Reaver's back again. And this time he's offering me his army," Sparrow turned so that she was fully facing her husband, a small hint of depression finding her eyes then.

"Did you take them?" Walter asked, back to his normal "head of the army" serious tone. Sparrow sighed, pulling away to flop down in a nearby chair.

"No. How can I trust a man like that?" She rubbed her temples, tensing when Walter came to sit next to her.

"Although I agree with you, we are losing this war. There is no way we will be able to win unless you take some additional help," Sparrow shot him a glare, but before she could say anything, he had his hand pressed against her lips. "And although I do agree that that lunatic is not to be trusted, there would be an advantage in taking his forces. You've worked with him before, now would be no different. Hell, get Theresa to mediate, and it would be just like old times," Walter stated, his logic for once making the Queen feel like she should go and pout.

She had to admit that he had his point. She could see all the advantages to keeping Reaver closer, but there was no promise that his men would be what he said they were. Sure, his men were pirates through and through – and that would be a huge advantage on the sea – but then again, that was exactly the problem. They were pirates; that should say it all.

"Walter, you don't understand. I don't want it to be like old times. At that time, Reaver was unbearable as it was. I understand the fact that his resources would be better for the kingdom…" She trailed off, leaning over to Walter so that her head could fall uselessly against his chest. He smirked, rubbing her shoulders affectionately.

"Why don't you go talk to Hammer and Garth? They know this man just as well, if not better, then you do. Garth spent a few years with him in Samarkand, right? I'm sure he would have some good information," Walter told her, smiling when she automatically perked up. She gave him a peck on the lips before she was back out the door, waving to him over her shoulder.

* * *

"Hammer?" Sparrow gave a ginger knock at the Hero's door, waiting hopefully for a reply.

"Sparrow? That you?" Hammer called back, a distinguished _thud_ sounding throughout the room. Sparrow smiled, a small chuckle escaping her lips.

"Yeah, it is. Listen, I need your help with a kingdom matter," Sparrow explained through the thick door, waiting for the monk to come and let her in.

"Uh, yeah, could this wait a moment? I-I'm sort of busy," Hammer stuttered, another dull noise coming from the room. Sparrow's eyebrows quirked as she turned the knob and entered anyway.

"Hammer, I don't understand why –" Sparrow stopped dead in her tracks as her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. "Oh, gods, right. I'm sorry," She stuttered her apology and turned on her heel as fast as she had entered. She was nearly at the door when Garth stopped her.

"If it's really important, you could wait a minute," He offered. Sparrow blushed, walking out the door as she replied.

"I'll just wait out here, then," She stated meekly, scrubbing at her eyes to attempt to unsee what she had just walked in on. She now understood how Hammer had felt after she had walked in on the Queen and Walter…

"I'm sorry, Sparrow," Hammer spoke as she opened the door, startling the Queen. Sparrow whirled to face her friend, her face as red as a tomato.

"N-no, it's fine. I guess I know how you felt, now," She joked, Hammer laughing a little with her. The bigger Hero beckoned the Queen inside, all of them then gathering in a small sitting area.

"So, what was it that you needed?" Garth asked, leaning forward with one hand on his knee. Sparrow tried to ignore the fact that he was still shirtless, so she averted her eyes to the small table between them all instead.

"I need to know if I should use Reaver's forces to win this war. Or at least hope to help win it," She stated, feeling no need to ease them in with a longwinded explanation. Hammer's jaw dropped and Garth had to do a double take.

"You what?" They both stated simultaneously. Hammer twisted the Hero to face her, large hands gripping either of her upper arms.

"I know it sounds insane, but both Walter and my supervising General say that Reaver could actually offer us some help. If you really think about it, he has pirates that know the sea, know ships," Sparrow took a deep breath, looking into her best friend's eyes sincerely, "That, and I'm… Well, I'm pregnant and I just don't know how much more of this I can take, Hannah," Sparrow whispered the last part of the sentence, sheepishly looking away from her friend's face.

Both Hero's remained in silence for a few seconds after Sparrow's explanation. Then, Hammer leaned forward and engulfed the Queen in a hug.

"When were you going to tell me you were pregnant?" She demanded, pulling away to look into the Queen's eyes as if she was scolding the Hero. Sparrow sighed, but a small smile found her lips anyway.

"And as for the Reaver business," Garth stated, his deep voice an odd contrast against the two females, "I think that it would be both wise and stupid. It would save the kingdom a lot, in the end, but what would it cause during it? You know Reaver; in the middle of battle, he might turn to you and demand that you give him millions. You have to weigh your pros and cons, Sparrow," Garth offered, leaning across the gap between them to rub her arm reassuringly.

Sparrow nodded, her small smile gaining a little bit of life.

"Thank you, guys. This means a lot to me," She muttered, pulling Hammer into another hug before she stood and walked over to Garth to do the same. "I'm going to go home and think this over," She murmured, waving to them over her shoulder as she vanished out the door.

"Now, where were we?" Garth asked, pulling Hammer against him as the female Hero giggled.

* * *

"You think this will work?" Reaver demanded, sauntering into the room with his gun propped on his shoulder. Dark eyes met his own in a sidelong glance that suggested the owner was offended by his asking. Reaver simply rolled his eyes.

"Right, right, I forgot you already knew everything," He flopped down into a chair, slapping his feet onto the table in front of him. The same dark eyes eyed him disapprovingly. He simply waved the owner away.

"And what do all of these one sided monologues get me? A long-hand note from you expressing all of the details of our next rendezvous?" Reaver's voice changed from teasing to plain annoyed in one sentence. The other person in the room simply chuckled darkly, moving to look out the window with arms crossed behind their back.

"No, Mister Reaver, it will get you a crushed kingdom," A dark, rumbling voice rang out into the study, causing Reaver to sigh exasperatedly.

"And what good does a crushed kingdom do? Don't you know the best things come from something _young_ and _fertile_?" Reaver added unnecessary flirt into the last words, getting an evil eye out of the other.

"A crushed kingdom is able to be manipulated, dear Reaver,"


	20. Tycoon of Unpredictability

Chapter Twenty – Tycoon of Unpredictability

_You're a fool, you're a fool, you're a fool._ The small voice in her head seemed to chant those words over and over again, as if taunting her with the small fact that it actually could talk. Sparrow rolled her eyes, clenching her jaw tightly as she pressed on. What kind of person would she be if she simply gave up now? She would then be responsible for her whole kingdoms doom. What kind of person would she be if she picked now to start listening to the nagging conscience?

She gathered her wits about her, taking a deep breath before climbing the marble stairs. Although by far the fanciest mansion in Millfields, it was not the only one with marble stairs. Reaver seemed to make sure that everyone in the town had their place, and that everyone he knew that was rich, was that place.

_You're a fool. Going to a mad man like this for help on a war that, for all you know, he could have started,_ the nagging voice returned, taunting her as she raised her fist to knock on the overly-large cherry wood doors. She sighed, mentally cursing herself for briefly listening to the voice. She knocked three times on the door, only to be startled when a servant answered it in the next second.

"Aah, youw majestyy," Barry cooed, his eyebrows quirking in a flirtatious manner. The Queen simply cast him a glare, satisfied when he backed down. "Wight, well Mistew Weaver will be wight wif you, then. Why don't you move to the study?" Barry motioned to his right as he beckoned the Queen in, then heading up the regal red-carpeted stairs to fetch his master.

Sparrow moved slowly towards the bookcase-adorned room, her eyes scanning every inch of it. It was much the same as his house in Bloodstone – though that town had fallen since last she saw it. She managed to even pick out a few books she recalled seeing on his tables at miscellaneous times during their meetings. She never did pay much attention to him when he forced her to meet with him, so her surroundings became the one way to ignore his obnoxious behavior.

"Ah, _Mon Cheri_, you did decide to meet with me, my little _minx_," Reaver called in an over-dramatic voice, swooping his arm in a fantastical manner as he entered the room. Sparrow turned on her heel, looking to him with authority in her eyes.

"You knew I would come, did you?" She asked, trying to play dumb. She wanted to know if he was up to something more then what he let on. She knew he was always up to _something, _but whether or not that something was of any importance to her was always to be determined.

"Oh, I have a way of knowing most everyone's visits, _Mon Cheri_," He replied with a wink, moving to an elaborate liquor cabinet in the opposite corner of the room. Sparrow moved closer, curious to see what brew he would offer her this time. Surprisingly, it was simple Albion Ale, something she very much cared for. "Care for a little drink, _Mon Cheri_?" He asked, waving a small glass in front of her nose.

Sparrow rolled her eyes, but nodded her head anyway. In an odd way, he seemed to grow on you after a while of dealing with his antics. She still hated his guts, though.

"So, what is it that I can do for the magnificent Queen of Albion?" Reaver sat himself down in a leather chair, offering her one across from him. She took the seat gratefully, wrapping her hands nervously around the cup of ale she had just received.

"I will be needing your forces, Reaver," She stated in an almost defeated tone. He simply stared at her for the briefest of seconds, then proceeded to burst into laughter. Sparrow eyed him curiously, taking a hesitant sip of her ale as she watched him.

"So you've come to your senses, then, dear Queen? I knew you would," He cackled, leaning forward to set his glass down on the table between them. She heaved a sigh, leaning forward to snatch his wrist.

"I have no time for your antics, Reaver. Tell me, do I have your reinforcements, or do I have to go to someone else?" She knew the taunt of leaving him would have no affect, but surprisingly, he did show a bit of hurt at her words. He rotated his wrist so that he could forcefully snatch hers, moving in closer so that their faces were inches apart.

"_Mon Cheri_, did you really think that I would offer something only to take it back? How could you think so _lowly_ of me?" His eyes danced with a familiar glint the Queen was none too happy to see. She pulled away, eyeing him with one hand placed on her gun.

"Give me an answer, Reaver," She demanded, looking him straight in the eyes with all the authority she could muster. He pulled back and threw his feet onto the table, knocking both of their glasses to the ground. He now took on a defiant look, as if he had another trick up his sleeve that she knew nothing about.

"On one condition," He hissed out, watching her carefully now. All of the childhood attitude had left him and in its' place had resurfaced a mature, businesslike man. Sparrow simply tightened her hold on her gun, watching him carefully as she beckoned him to go on and tell her what he could _possibly_ want for a condition.

"I get to be your right hand man," He declared, watching as her face filled with shock. She felt her eyes widen, even felt her jaw loosen.

"_You?_ My advisor?" Her voice shot up an octave as she tried to comprehend what he was saying to her.

"Yes, me, _Mon Cheri_," He replied, his eyes gaining back a flirtatious glint. She felt herself fall back in her seat, her shock now taking its' toll on her whole body.

_Him?_ A royal advisor? _To her?_ She had no idea how to shake him of his ways, no idea how to get herself out of this sticky mess she had gotten into. She had no idea how to tell him no – in his own home – and get out alive. She had no intention of starting a fight, so that was out of the draw. And she also had no intention of seeing what would happen in a war, which she was already losing, without extra forces. She could not afford to lose more men.

_Being your advisor does not mean that you would have to follow his advice. You could simply listen to him, then decide something alone – with Walter or Jasper, even._

And for once, Sparrow wanted to listen to the small voice in her head. She wanted to listen to it and say that, yes, she could always tune him out. But somehow, she knew that he would use his position to his advantage – do something within the castle to make sure that it all came toppling down.

"Reaver," She began, looking back up to the expectant Hero with a sense of dread enveloping her, "You will report to the castle in two days time with all the information about the forces, and whatever you may need to start your new position," She said it all in a flat tone, standing up and turning on her heel before he could get a word out. She was out the doors as she heard him call after her.

"You won't regret this, _Mon Cheri_," He called in a cheerful voice.

_Oh, but I will, Reaver. I very much will._

* * *

"You did _what_?" Walter shouted, looking to his wife with an almost hateful glare. Sparrow flinched at his raised voice, pulling Logan closer to her as if he could somehow save her from Walter's wrath.

"I did what you told me. I made sure that I got Reaver's forces, and the price for that just so happened to be that he becomes my Advisor," She stated, setting Logan down as he begged to be let go to play with his small wooden train. She watched him for a second, and then her eyes flitted back to Walter.

"When I said any price, I meant _money_, Lillian. You cannot allow this mad man into the castle," Walter growled, his voice furious now. Sparrow moved closer, taking his hands in hers.

"Walter, listen to me. As your Queen, I know what I'm doing. He may give me advice, but that does not mean that I have to follow it," She felt his anger soften as she said those words, his deep brown eyes returning to the Teddy Bear she knew so well. "And as your wife, I would like to think that you trust me. I would like to think that you know I will have it all set in two days. I will make sure that this does not go south, Walter."

Silence settled between them as they stared into each other's eyes. Sparrow was watching him for any sign of anger, any sign that he might not take her words seriously. He was watching her as if he could somehow silently change both their minds – allow him to convince her that this was a mistake.

"Very well, I guess you were right, Lillian," He sighed, pulling her into a hug. He moved so that he could whisper into her ear, "But just so you know, I will be doubling the guard," He muttered, smirking as he felt her laugh a little.

"Mommy, Mommy! Come play with Daddy and me! We were gonna go slay some dragons!" Logan tugged on both of their shirts, causing them to pull away and smile down at him.

"Oh, and what role would you have me play, mighty warrior?" Sparrow asked, crouching down to his height.

"Mommy, don't you know that all girls have to be the damsel in distress?" He pouted, taking them both by the hand to lead them into an open courtyard. Soon their laughter filled the air, and for a few minutes, both adults forgot about the fact that a tycoon of unpredictability was going to be descending on the castle in a matter of just two small days.

**_Author's note: Alright, so we have finally hit Chapter Twenty! Whoo! Anyway, I will not be posting for a while simply because school starts back up again soon and I will have a very busy, no-time-for-writing schedule. Sorry! I do hope you enjoyed the chapter, however._**


	21. You Never

_**Author's Note: First week of school is done! So, as a reward for both myself and any of you out there who have gone through the same deal - here is Chapter Twenty one! Whoo!**_

Chapter Twenty-One – You Never

Two days. She should have told him two months. Two _years,_ maybe. Two days was way too much, way too soon. There was no way she was ready for this, and there was no way her people – Walter, Jasper, her guards – were ready for this. No one was ever ready for Reaver.

"I know I am going to regret asking this question, your majesty, but are you sure you are ready for this?" Jasper asked, coming up slowly behind her. She cracked a small smirk, turning to face him.

"Jasper, first of all, call me Sparrow. Or Lillian, as Walter seems to prefer. And second of all, yes, you should regret asking that question," She patted him on the shoulder, walking past him to saunter into her armory. He sighed, following her with his hands folded neatly in front of him. She had never seen him without his white – perfectly white – gloves.

"Your maj – _Sparrow_," The name seemed to be acid on his tongue, "you really ought to sit down and prepare –"

"Prepare for what, Jasper? I don't even know when he will be here, and knowing Reaver, he will pick the most elaborate way to enter. In what way could I prepare for that?" She asked as she slid her pistol onto her hip, then handling her sword gently in her hands. She stared down at the blade as if it offered her some kind of solution to her "Reaver Problem". She knew it offered one, that one being her favorite, but also the most illegal. She would not kill someone who simply got on her nerves… would she?

"Sparrow, I urge you to think this through, before he makes that impossible," Jasper stated, placing one of his hands gently on the Queen's shoulder. She heaved a sigh, looking to him with a small amount of despair in her eyes.

"I… Thank you, Jasper. You can rest assured that I will come to you before doing anything he has suggested," She threw him a small smile, trying to show him that her words were in fact true.

She wanted to believe that they were herself, but she had a hard time thinking that anything would be the truth with Reaver around. There was no telling what he had planned for this small Castle, and she could only take so much. Sparrow wanted to do nothing more then have him thrown in the dungeon upon his first foot setting on the ground outside. She wanted to have his head chopped off as well – she had still to decide to which head she was referring.

"Your Majesty," A guard appeared at the armory's door, signaling Jasper to take his leave. Sparrow hooker her sword to her back, turning to the guard with her "business" face already in place.

"Yes? What do you want?" She started walking as the flustered boy began to speak. Obviously a new recruit.

"Reaver's here, Ma'am," He stated, a fleck of fear in his voice. She stopped dead in her tracks.

"How long?" She demanded. Seeing he didn't know the answer, she muttered a curse under her breath, turned on her heel and stormed towards the castle's entrance. The boy stayed still, wondering if he should follow her or not.

Sparrow made her way towards the entrance, mentally preparing herself for whatever hell she was about to walk in on. She knew Reaver could be creative, she just hoped that today was one of his more relaxed days.

"Ah! _Mon Cheri!_" Reaver exclaimed as she rounded the corner. He was at her side in a second, his arm around her shoulders. She cringed, studying the sight before her as she tried her best to ignore him.

Surprisingly, she did not see the normal ruckus she w2as used to. The hall was simply filled with gaping soldiers or servants. Sparrow quickly moved from his arm, turning to glare at him.

"What, no grand entrance as per your usual?" She asked, half teasing and half grateful. Her eyebrows quirked as he simply shrugged.

"I could turn the carriage around and shoot someone, if you felt it was necessary," He offered, reaching for his gun at his side. Sparrow jumped, reaching to stop him.

"No, no, none of that," She stuttered, almost laughing as he cracked a smirk. "Well, your room is just up these stairs," Sparrow gestured over her shoulder, watching as the servants scurried off to resume their duties. As she turned to face him again, his face was suddenly mere inches from her ear.

"I do presume that I am allowed to –" Reaver stopped, eyes wide as Sparrow slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Whatever you are about to ask me about "women," no. There will be none of that in the Castle," The Queen emphasized her last words, eyeing him completely seriously. He grabbed her wrist, removing her hand slowly from his lips.

"Why, _of course,_ Mon Cheri," He pulled away to do a mocking bow before waltzing up the stairs. Sparrow sighed, turning around to come face to face with Walter. She felt the smile spread over her face almost instantly.

"How long have you been there?" She asked, slipping her arms around his waist. He smiled, wrapping his arms, in return, around her shoulders.

"Not long enough, apparently. I missed his grand entrance," Walter joked, both of them letting out small chuckles.

'Where's Logan? Did he have a play date with one of the servant's kids?" Sparrow asked curiously. Walter sighed, untangling himself to that they could start walking together.

"He's out with... I believe it was Page," Walter recalled, linking their hands together.

"Oh, again? I figured he'd –"

"For once second, can we not be all business, Lillian," Walter interjected, throwing her an almost-disapproving look. Sparrow rolled her eyes, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Right, well then, was there any particular reason you stopped by?" She teased, knocking her hip against his playfully. He simply laughed, pulling her a bit closer.

"I can't just see my wife?" He teased, kissing her lightly on the cheek.

"You? Never," Sparrow laughed, then receiving an evil eye from Walter. She broke free from his arms, dashing up the stairs as he chased after her. Soon enough, he had her caged against the wall, their faces inches apart. She was still laughing, her breathless laugh filling the air with his.

* * *

"They fell for it, did they?" The voice asked, crossing their arms behind their back.

"Just as you planned," Reaver replied dryly, not interested in their words. He rolled his eyes, laying further back on the bed.

"A naïve Queen… How very interesting," They replied, ignoring Reaver's dismissive attitude. Reaver let out a sigh, flipping on his side to study the figure.

"Are you not joining me tonight, little _minx_?" Reaver husked out, motioning for them to join him on the silken sheets. The figure rolled their eyes, coming to sit on the edge of the bed.

"You heard what the Queen said; no guests," They scolded, returning his sultry gaze. Reaver huffed an indignant sigh.

"Have I ever listened?" He chuckled.

"You? Never."


	22. Alive Again

_**Author's Note: Alright, so school is in full swing and I am proud to say that none of my notebooks have been used for school work! Haha, they have all been taken over by this story - and I am also happy to report that I am currently almost done with 23! I hope to post here again soon, so you'll just have to wait a little bit longer! :D**_

_**In the meantime, enjoy!  
**_

Chapter Twenty-Two – Alive Again

"What do you mean we lost one thousand men?" Sparrow shot up from her throne, momentarily light-headed. Walter moved to her side, placing a balancing hand on her shoulder.

"I mean exactly that, your Majesty. We've lost one thousand men," The unsuspecting soldier restated, bowing a bit lower. Sparrow was fuming, her hands in visible fists at her now plumper sides.

_Three years._ Three years she had entrusted this war to her Generals, Admirals, and soldiers. Now, within the span of the short three months she had Reaver's forces installed, they had lost twice the amount of men.

Too pregnant to be of any good, most running around had been left to Walter. She had trusted that he would take care of things. Now, she was thinking, she had to take matters back into her own hands.

Sparrow sunk back into her throne, her eyes no longer seeing. She was no longer seeing her throne room or her people – she was seeing a bloody battlefield.

"_If all the soldiers were pieces, and the Queen a player, do you know who the ruler would be?"_

Blood was before her in crimson sheets. Bodies were piling, stacking, and on top of it all was where she sat. High and mighty in her throne, crown glistening a top her head, she surveyed the gore with a mask of serenity and nonchalance. She watched in silence as Reaver paraded through the mounds of bodies. Hat tipped in a gentlemanly manner, each step calculated with grace.

She watched as Reaver destroyed her kingdom.

"Everyone leave. Reaver, you stay," She glared in his direction, gaining a courteous nod. Walter pressed his hand to the small of her back, warning her silently. She sighed, her glare wavering so that she could reassure him.

"Was there something that I could do for you, your Majesty?" Reaver asked with a hint of mischief in his voice. Sparrow glared again, her whole body tensing.

"What game are you playing here, Reaver?" She growled, her voice nothing but clenched teeth. He smiled, coming to stand beside her throne.

"I've no _idea_ whatever you could be referring to," He avoided the question, his normal flamboyant and nonchalant manner setting her off. Sparrow rose from the throne, grabbing Reaver by the collar of his royal shirt.

"You listen to me, Reaver, we are going to win this war," Her eyes were blazing now, will lines pulsing with her angry heartbeat. "We are going to win this and send you toppling down. There is nothing you can do to stop your fall," She pulled him closer, their eyes meeting in a fury of emotion and powers.

"You will be crushed," She growled, letting go of his collar with angry force. She whirled around on her heel, starting to storm down the aisle.

"And what makes you think that it's all me, Sparrow? What makes you think someone hasn't finally come back for you?" Reaver shouted, the last of his words drowned out as she slammed the doors. She didn't stop fuming until two large, familiar hands were on her shoulders.

"What happened, Lillian?" Walter was asking, pulling her to face him. She shook her head, tears starting to fall down her face as she buried closer to him. Her face ended up cradled against his shoulder as she wept and he caged her close.

"What is happening to this kingdom, Walter?" She blubbered, knotting her hands in fists behind his back.

"We'll figure it out, Lillian," He soothed, kissing the top of her head absently. She pulled away, wiping her eyes as she did so.

"Those men, Walter, died because I ordered them to. Those men followed me blindly because they were told to," Sparrow's eyes turned hectic as her guilt showed through them. Walter moved his hands to cup either side of her face.

"Those men died because they adored you. I trained almost all of them myself and they never had anything but praise," Walter said smoothly, brushing her cheeks affectionately. His eyes shone with love and reassurance.

"Walter…" She dropped her head, putting her hands on top of his. She felt her shoulder start to shake, but before she could say much more, she jumped.

"The baby just moved," She gasped, eyes daring up to meet his. They both let out chuckles as the atmosphere suddenly changed from serious to joyous.

"Momma! Paige was bein' mean t'me again!" Logan toddled around the corner, small three-year-old body covered in mud. Sparrow laughed, scooping the muddy child into her arms.

"Oh, I'm sure she didn't mean it," Sparrow cooed, smoothing back his crusted hair.

"Why are you and papa so happy?" Logan asked, a sudden change of topic. Walter scooped him into his arms, ruffling his hair up again with laughter filling the air.

"You remember how we said your momma was making you a little sister or brother?" Walter asked as the innocent child nodded his head. "Well, we just felt her move," Logan leapt out of his arms and eagerly pressed his face to Sparrow's balloon-like stomach. He giggled with Sparrow as they both felt the baby move.

"Mama, Papa, are we gonna be a happy family?" Logan pulled away, his small face losing its' cheer. Walter crouched to his height, looking to him in concern.

"Why wouldn't we be, Logan?" He asked, shooting a concerned glance to Sparrow.

"Paige said that people didn't like our family. She said that one day she'd make sure the people in Bowerstone weren't like they are now. She used some big word, but I didn't understand it," His childish eyebrows furrowed together in confusion as he struggled to remember. Walter shot Sparrow a look, but she simply shrugged.

"Do you remember what the word sounded like, hun?" Sparrow asked, patting a hand gently on his small shoulder.

"She said it was a man who lived in our house. Mister River," Logan seemed uncertain, pouting when he knew he got it wrong. "And another was Fairfax, but I thought she was talking about the gardens Mama talks about in her stories," Logan's smile returned as the images of a green garden filled his mind.

"Sparrow picked the boy up, her face serious behind her plastered smiled, and hobbled upstairs to give the muddy being a bath. Walter turned on his heels and headed out to double the guard.

* * *

"The little runt is telling on us," Reaver growled as he entered his room. The figure moved, acknowledging his presence, but said nothing else. "And now the guard has been doubled," Reaver stated, nearing the figure as he tried to gain their attention.

"I doubt he will be an issue," The voice replied, turning to face Reaver. They stood mere inches apart, eyes meeting in a heated gaze.

"Oh, he will be. This boy is bright," Reaver retorted, determined to prove he was right. The figure rolled their eyes.

"What do you propose we do about it?" They asked, mischief haunting their hollow eyes.

"Take him. Use him as an advantage over the old Queen," Reaver almost cackled, looking like the cat who ate the canary.

"You are too important here," They said, patting Reaver's shoulder gently. They turned their back, looking out the window. "And I should love to see Wraithmarsh again at this time of year," A simple smile donned on their lips as they finally removed the hood of their long black cloak.

* * *

"Sparrow," Theresa called, popping suddenly into the room. Sparrow turned, smiling to her happily.

"Oh, what a nice visit, Theresa. How have you been?" She asked, pulling Logan from the water a she started to pat him dry.

"Sparrow, He's alive. And he's here," She whispered, hands clenched at her side.

"You will have to be more specific, Theresa," Sparrow retorted, stopping her actions as the seeress whispered into her ear,

"What!?" Sparrow felt her face pale before the fear could fully register in her mind.

"I told you; He's alive, and he's here," Theresa repeated, vanishing into thin air.

_He's Alive_.


	23. This Is War

_**Author's note: Hey, hey, look at that! I'm actually posting! :D**_

_**Anyway, I am happy to report that this story is moving along really well. There is actually some plot forming, and I have handwritten up to chapter 25. Now, I just have to type the rest up... :P  
**_

_**Enjoy!  
**_

Chapter Twenty-Three – This Is War

"Do you think he's here?" Sparrow muttered, her attention begrudgingly brought back to her son. She realized she was talking to no one, but she knew that Teresa was listening. She went back to the actions of crying her son, but the actions were programmed, not caring.

"Logan, why don't you go off and play?" Sparrow muttered as she slid his shirt over his head. He nodded eagerly, running off down a hallway with a play gun in his hand. Sparrow rose to her feet, robotically walking to the war room. She entered silently, staying in the back as Walter continued to speak.

Soon, he spotted her, smiling as he dismissed the small crowd. His smile turned to concern as she didn't reply, didn't even seem to notice his smile.

"Lillian, what's wrong?" Walter asked, moving closer as the last of the men left.

"He's… He's back, Walter," She murmured, unsure she spoke the words audibly.

"Who? Who's back, Lillian?" Walter asked, placing a hand on her shoulder as the other cupped her cheek. She could have answered him with so many different words. _Tormentor, murderer, nightmare, horror, King of Old:_

**Lucien**.

"I-I… he… I killed him. He was dead, fell. Gone… in the spire…" She was rambling now, but the majority of her didn't even care. She didn't think that anything else could have mattered at this moment – but she was wrong.

"Hey, Sparrow! We thought we'd drop by and –" Hammer's joyful voice cut off as she and Garth spotted Walter's face.

"Sparrow, hun, you have to be more specific," Walter stated, giving a slight shake to he. She pulled away, turning to look to Hammer and Garth.

"Lucien is alive," Her voice shook, her eyes wavering from the nightmare she had been locked in.

"What?" Hammer gasped, lurching forward to her friends' side.

"How is that possible?" Garth breathed out, falling down in the nearest chair. He clamped his hands under his chin, his Will lines pulsing angrily.

"Teresa, she just… She said he's in the castle," Sparrow explained, allowing Walter to help her to a chair. Hammer joined her at her side but did not sit.

"Are you sure? The old Seeress hasn't always been reliable," Hammer offered, but anyone could have seen her displeasure and the lie in her voice. Garth looked up, his tattoos still glowing.

"We could try to search for him magically, but I have no doubt that he would have a trap set for that," Garth explained, his voice contemplative and distant.

"No, he's… He's doing something. He probably knew we would catch on…" Sparrow trailed off, her face blank again.

She was not with them in the small war room any longer – she was not anywhere. She was absent from her troubles, back on the battlefield.

Blood was everywhere – all at once. Bodies were piling up, filling her vision. How there were not just random faces, but the face of her friends and family. They were all people she knew.

Now, Reaver came waltzing through the bodies. He sang, danced and twirled through the decay, tipping his top hat as he got closer. Suddenly, there was another figure, another partner in Reaver's dance.

He was young, not the old man so familiar to her eyes. Lucien had changed, reverted to a familiar figure she knew as a child.

Behind him, as he partnered with Reaver in their dance of death, Shadows swirled. They exposed their claws, dangling over the dancers heads.

Silver blood spilled on top of the dancers, the waltz coming to a halt as the silver enveloped them.

"Sparrow?" Hammer asked, one larger hand covering hers. Sparrow blinked, looking to her friend with momentary confusion. She rose from the chair, walking from the room without another word.

"Lillian?" Walter called, following her with concern. Hammer and Garth attempted to follow, but Walter called them off. "Lillian, what are you doing?" He called, watching as she paid him no mind and just kept walking.

"Reaver!" She called, storming into his room. He smiled, tipping his hat before she slammed him against the wall. "Where is he? Where the hell is he?" She growled, pressing her gun to his temple.

"Oh, a little demanding, are we?" He jested, nudging his gun closer to her chest. She mentally cursed the fact he was always faster then her.

"God damn it, Reaver! I don't have time for your games!"

"Oh, well pardon me for offending _your highness_," He snarled, evading her question with expertise.

"Where the hell is he, Reaver!" She shouted, shoving her gun closer.

"My, my, those hormones really do start to kick in about now, do they not?" He teased, lowering his gun to her bloated abdomen.

"Reaver," She hissed his name, barely more then a breath on her lips as she stared intensely into his eyes.

"I've _no idea_ what you could be talking about, _Mon Cheri_," He mumbled, his voice turning sultry. His eyes lost their humor, his words losing their jest.

"Like hell you don't," He breathed, her eyes fiery.

They were both aware that Walter had been there, watching their exchange. They were both aware of the fact that someone else was there, another pair of eyes on them.

"Sire Walter, I suggest you leave this little conversation to us," Reaver cooed, ignoring the fuming Queen in front of him.

"How dare you –" He was getting ready to argue his stance when Sparrow interrupted him.

"Walter, I know you want to help, and I know you don't want to leave, but I doubt Reaver will hesitate to shoot you," Sparrow explained, putting concern into her voice. Reaver smirked, moving his gun from the Queen and to the silhouette that was Walter.

Walter sighed, wanting so badly to tell her just what was on his mind. Sometimes he wished that she were just a bit less independent.

"We'll talk about this later, Sparrow," Walter agreed begrudgingly. Sparrow winced at her true name, knowing he only used it when there was to be an argument later. She winced again as the door slammed behind him.

"Now, where were we?" Reaver sneered.


	24. Speechless

**_Author's Note: What's this - two chapters in one day? Omg! Haha, I have been typing pretty much all afternoon, and I still have to get to chapter 25. Luckily, I have a whole day left to write and type it. XD  
_**

**_Hope you guys enjoy!_**

Chapter Twenty-Four – Speechless

"Just tell me where he is and we can be done with this," Sparrow hissed, pushing away from him as she tried to gain some distance.

"I told you, I have no idea who you're talking about," Reaver smiled, turning to flop down on his bed. He crossed one arm behind his head, leaving the other out to freely play with his _Dragonstomper .48._

"But we both know that's a lie," Sparrow retorted, moving to sit at the foot of his bed. She placed on hand on her stomach as she tried to go to a happy place – anywhere but here – however it didn't work.

"Do we?" Reaver teased, sitting up and looking her in the eyes. He sat cross-legged nearly at her hip, looking like the ager child waiting for a story.

"Yes, we do," Sparrow replied, dropping her gaze back to his gun that was casually pointed her way.

"Hmm, I would have thought it was just you and your hormones," Reaver sneered, looking to her stomach. "How can you stand to breed such brats?"

"Don't call my unborn child a brat," She hissed, gripping her gun a bit tighter.

"Now who said I was talking about the unborn one?" Reaver mumbled, countering her glare with one of his own.

"Do you really hate Logan that much? We've established that he isn't yours," Sparrow mumbled, for once not feeling offense. She'd be fine if Reaver never set foot near Logan ever again.

"Hmm, yes, but he did give me a few gray hairs with that scare," Reaver pulled out a small chunk of hidden gray hair with a look of disgust on his face.

"Yes, and complexion and appearance are everything to you," Sparrow joked with a small hint of disgust in her voice. Reaver made a small chuckle-like noise, finally putting his gun away.

"He's not here anymore. He left this morning," Reaver stated, getting up and walking towards the door. He reached it and held it open.

"What, is that all you're going to give me?" Sparrow asked, walking slowly to his side. He took her chin in his hand, causing her to look up to him.

"Don't get greedy, my little _minx_," He breathed, pushing her out the door before she could protest.

Sparrow walked out the door, heading out to find Walter. She was still angry that all she could get from Reaver was the he wasn't here. That meant he could be anywhere in Albion. Anywhere.

"Lillian," Walter stated as she entered the war room, getting an almost apologetic look from the young queen.

"Walter, I –"

"What do you think you're doing?" He cut her off, his normally soft eyes sharp with ridicule. Sparrow inhaled sharply, stumbling over her words.

"What do you mean, Walter?" That was the only thing she could think of to say, or ask.

"Being heroic and going off on your own will solve nothing. You're always alone," Walter stated, his voice harsh and analytical.

"Walter, if this is about Reaver –"

"No, forget him. This is about you and me," He interjected again, his hands grabbing either of her arms. She stared into his eyes, trying to contain and hide the fear she was feeling.

"Walter, I don't know what you're –"

"Stop trying to keep me in the dark!" Walter shouted, his anger flaring. Sparrow jumped, blinking in shock.

"There's nothing to keep you away from," She shouted back, wrenching herself from his grasp.

"Then why all these secrets, Sparrow! Why all these lies and secret conversations!" He shouted at her, anger searing his voice.

"There are none! If you think I've been cheating with Reaver, that god damned rat of a man can go rot in hell!" Sparrow shouted back, unconsciously feeling the tears start to stream down her face.

"Then why do you seem to trust him more then you trust me?" Walter angrily called back.

"Trust him? You think I trust him?" Sparrow shouted, her eyes now blazing with anger through her tears.

"You always shut me out! You always run away when I show the slightest amount of concern!" Walter's voice wavered, finally showing emotion other then anger.

"Did you ever think it's because I care about you?" Sparrow wailed, her tears streaming faster. She wiped furiously at her eyes as she tried to recompose herself.

"Did you ever think that it was because I don't want to lose you? I don't want to go through what I did with Joseph ever again. I've lost so many…" A brief image of Rose flashed across her mind, "I can't lose you. Not you," Sparrow was whispering now, her voice returning to a tender state.

"Then trust me. Don't push me away," Walter replied, losing a little bit of his anger. She could tell he was still angry, that this was not over, but a part of her was happy they were done shouting. A part of her was happy she could finally stop crying. _Damned hormones._

"I do, Walter. One hundred percent," She whispered tenderly, he hands finally unclenching from her fists. Her wedding band pulsed angrily against her heated flesh.

"Then tell me what the hell is going on," He demanded, his voice harsh and finally matching his eyes.

"Walter, it's so complicated, I –"

"This conversation isn't over until you tell me everything," Walter stated, watching as she inhaled in shock.

"I…" She heaved a sigh, finally turning to fall into a chair. She laid her hands on her stomach, knotting her fingers around some of the loose cloth. "I don't know where you want me to start," She offered in a distant voice.

"Why didn't you tell me Logan was Reaver's? Instead I had to find out from an argument you two had," Walter hissed, sitting across from her with a serious expression.

"I didn't tell you because that was a lie. Reaver came a little while ago and said Logan wasn't his. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, just wanting you and Logan to be happy," She explained, her heart in all her words.

"Then why didn't you tell me you were raped?" Walter grumbled, his hatred evident in the word.

"Exactly this reason. I knew you'd become over-protective, maybe overreact," She hesitated on this, not wanting to make things even worse.

His face grew sullen, as if that had meant something more then what she had said. She opened her mouth to try and fix her sentence, but she was cut off.

"Mama, Papa, why are you fighting?" Logan toddled in, looking between the two with concern in his small face.

Walter got up, walking away with his back to them. And for once, the Queen had no answer to give her son.

For once, she was speechless.


	25. And We All Fall Down

_**Author's note: Alright, so it has been a while since I last posted. I just have one thing to say about this chapter: IT TOOK FOR BLOODY EVER TO WRITE!**_

_**Anyway, I added a small twist in here, so if you don't get it, message me. I am more then happy to clear things up for you. XD  
**_

Chapter Twenty-Five – And We All Fall Down

Weeks passed. Then months. The war carried on, more men were lost. Reaver never left her side, Walter never reappeared.

Some said he had gone back to Mourningwood. She found that easy to believe. Others said he was always just out of her sight. She could believe that too.

In those months, she gave birth to a wonderful baby girl named Rose. It pained her to name her third child this, remembering both her sister and the daughter that Lucien had so wrongfully killed. As she stared at her daughter's face now, she saw her sister, her first daughter, and the woman she knew this one would become. She named her child this because she knew that she would do justice to the name in one way or another.

Rose was blessed with perfection. She had her father's soft eyes, the same startling hazel color as well. Then, she had been given her mother's red curls, although diluted from Walter's contribution. Her complexion was almost startlingly pale, although her cheeks were just pink enough to divert some of that unwanted attention.

Sparrow never left Rose's side, allowing Jasper to take charge of her schedule. The two grew to be closer friends, and she found he was the one should always lean on. She also found that he was a very capable man, someone who knew how to plan a working mother's schedule very nicely.

The people outside of the castle, however, were a very different story. They were starting to rebel, starting to naturally lose the interest in their first Hero Queen. Some said it was because they were siding with Walter, saying that a vigilante had no place in running the kingdom. Others said it was still because she apparently trusted Reaver. They said that if a tyrant like him was allowed to run free in the castle, that maybe the Queen had other than honorable intentions.

"Your majesty," Jasper bowed as he entered her bedroom, getting a skeptical look from her. He quickly straightened and gave her a friendly smile instead.

"Yes, Jasper?" She asked, holding Rose closer to her chest as Logan shifted in her lap. He buried his head into the soft fabric of her nightshirt, soft snores escaping his moth.

"They say you are urgently needed in the War Room," He was whispering as he shuffled forward to help. She handed him Rose as she slowly rubbed small circles on Logan's back.

"Logan, Honey, let's go get you in bed," She whispered, scooping him into her arms as they both walked to the bedrooms. Logan was tucked in safe and sound, assured that there were no trolls in his closet. Rose was laid in her crib, gurgling happily at the toy dangling from her ceiling. With that, Sparrow left the room to go and pull on her adventure clothes.

She quickly fastened on her corset and slipped into her shorts, grabbing her boots and coat in her hands before walking out to sit on her bed and sit on the bed to talk to Jasper.

"Did they say what they needed?" she asked as she slid on her boots. Jasper came to her side, pushing a few curls out of her face.

"No. all they said was that it was urgent," He replied, trying t make her presentable. She gave a slight chuckle, batting his hands away playfully.

"That's all they ever say," She grumbled, tossing him a smile as she stuck her crown on her head and started her way down the hall.

As she rounded the corner, she sighed. Sometimes she wished she had never chosen to take up the position as Queen. She wondered if she would still be out adventuring or if she would have become a mother. She wondered what her life would be like had she not fallen for Walter.

She wanted to know if she would be as unhappy as she was now.

"Ah, your Majesty," One general bowed, making her realize she was now in the War room with a dozen eyes staring at her expectantly.

"What was the emergency?" She asked, her voice ringing clearly into the room with authority.

"The enemy is moving, our Majesty," The general said in a monotone, solemn tone of voice.

"And you chose to tell me this at this time of night?" She glared, her voice sharp and slightly angry.

"We did not know until just now. Our scouts have been delayed," The general was now remorseful, leaving the death of the Scouts unsaid but implied.

"Where?" She demanded, the simple word ringing with impatience.

"Up by the Dweller Camp. They've started to use the mercenaries to their advantage as well," Another general piped up, stepping forward to address her properly. The Queen grimaced, whirling on her heel.

"Ready as many men as you can and have them out in the courtyard in two hours. I will be joining them," She ordered, walking in a dead beeline for the armory.

She'd heard of the Dwellers, tough people of Mistpeak, but had never thought they stood any chance. Living out in the open of Mistpeak was risky, at best. Now that she knew they existed and were fighting against her enemy, she wanted to take this chance and gain another ally.

Sparrow quickly changed from her standard adventuring clothes to her second favorite. She grabbed the Highwayman pants and boots, changing her corset for a matching green and faint red one. She still had her gun and sword at her hips, slipping the snug Highwayman jacket on over them. She settled for letting her hair tumble down her back in long ringlets, her crown still firmly on her head.

Sighing, she turned to the mirror. Her youth and life seemed to have left her. Her Will lines now crossed over aged skin that had seen it all. Even her hair was aging, small grey streaks forming just above her ears. Her eyes were not the same sparkling blue; now they had loved again and been crushed.

"Lillian," Jasper walked in, calling to her as a friend rather then Loyal Servant. She turned her head, looking to him but not seeing.

"Yes, Walter?" She replied without hesitation, not seeing the servant but instead the man she would always love. Jasper sighed, walking forward to place one hand on her shoulder.

"Love, it's time to go fight," He played along, too soft a man to crush her dreams and hopes.

"Right," She smiled – the liveliest smile he had seen in a long while – and took off out the door. "When you see Jasper, tell him I said not to worry," She called over her shoulder playfully.

"He knows, your Majesty. He knows," Jasper whispered, letting a heavy sigh escape his lips as he prepared to go on with his duties.

_The queen is slipping, falling. This kingdom will be the end of her. Then we will all_

_Fall_

_ Down._


End file.
